Hailun Ma

Hailing from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China, Hailun Ma is a photographer whose work has appeared on covers for Vogue and featured for clients including Nike and Burberry. By 2024, Ma was working between Shanghai and New York, exhibiting in solo and group shows around the world. Her work has been featured in the likes of New York Magazine, i-D, GQ China, and Vogue China on several occasions, including her April 2024 cover featuring Rihanna.

Raised in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi, Ma’s interest in the themes around diversity and beauty arose when she left the country to obtain her BFA Photography and then MPS Fashion Photography degrees at New York’s School of Visual Arts. Playing on her self-described position as a Han Chinese “third-culture kid” in a region full of different ethnic groups, Ma began using her work to spotlight the distinctive traditions of people rarely spotlighted in China’s mainstream fashion and entertainment spheres, as well as the majestic landscapes they inhabit. Her models include Kazakh cowboys, urban Uighur and Mongolian transplants living in Shanghai, Kashgar youth, and multi-cultural bridal parties, often styled in a blend of vibrant, local customary dress and cosmopolitan fashion.