A Tidal Dance | Xiapu, China
From altitude above Xiapu, a fisher casts a net from a wooden boat - the net caught at the exact moment of release, a perfect arc against the still grey-blue water, tall bamboo lift-nets rising through the morning mist behind like a set of sails with no wind.
Open edition - Aerial fine art by Tobias Hägg - 210g natural white art paper, matte finish
archival paper
shipping above €95
Stockholm, Sweden
"The quality of the images was greater than I could have ever hoped for. I am proud to call myself a collector of his work."
Matthew D. ·
Xiapu County on China's Fujian coast supports generations of fishing families who work the tidal flats using methods unchanged for centuries - bamboo lift-net structures that are raised and lowered with the tide, cast nets thrown by hand from wooden boats, the timing of every action determined by the water rather than the clock. This image catches a single moment in that daily routine - the cast net suspended in mid-air, still taking the shape of the throw before gravity brings it down, the net-caster balanced at the bow with arms outstretched. The tall bamboo frames behind create a vertical backdrop through the mist that frames the action below.
The image works on two levels - as a graphic composition of shapes and reflections in pale blue water, and as a document of a way of working that is disappearing from the world. The cool blue palette and the stillness of the water give it a meditative quality that the dynamic action of the cast net plays against. It rewards larger formats where the detail of the net, the boat and the mist-shrouded structures all become legible simultaneously.
Craft & Materials
| Paper | 210g natural white art paper, matte finish - lifetime archival quality |
| Border | 50mm white border for easy framing |
| Framing | Fits standard frames (not included) |
| Sizes | 30×40 cm - 50×70 cm - 70×100 cm - 80×120 cm |
| Delivery | 3-14 days, shipped in a protective tube |
| Shipping | Worldwide - free above €95 |
| Paper | 210g natural white art paper, matte — lifetime archival quality |
| Border | 50mm white border for easy framing |
| Framing | Fits standard frames (not included) |
| Delivery | 3–14 days, shipped in a protective tube |
| Shipping | Worldwide — free above €95 |
A Tidal Dance
Xiapu County on China's Fujian coast supports generations of fishing families who work the tidal flats using methods unchanged for centuries - bamboo lift-net structures that are raised and lowered with the tide, cast nets thrown by hand from wooden boats, the timing of every action determined by the water rather than the clock. This image catches a single moment in that daily routine - the cast net suspended in mid-air, still taking the shape of the throw before gravity brings it down, the net-caster balanced at the bow with arms outstretched. The tall bamboo frames behind create a vertical backdrop through the mist that frames the action below. The image works on two levels - as a graphic composition of shapes and reflections in pale blue water, and as a document of a way of working that is disappearing from the world.
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Every image captured from altitude by Tobias Hägg. Printed on archival paper, made to order, shipped worldwide from Stockholm, Sweden.