The present work by Sichuan-based artist Chen Chunlin was created in a remote region of Shaanxi Province and is comprised of a chronological series of portraits taken in front of a white backdrop in the same location over the course of one day. For Lessons Learned in One Day, Chen travelled across China over several years in an attempt to study the changing face of contemporary Chinese society. Chen’s white backdrop partially isolates the subjects from their environment, inviting us to engage in a process of observation and comparison.