Different lenses

Cameraman Liuzhang Bolong, however, describes himself as a "part-time artist", who only creates when he's off duty at his day job.

The 29-year-old returned to his hometown, Beijing, last year from New York, where he studied film and photography at the School of Visual Arts.

His photo series on university labs that he cultivated in the US city has captivated attention and won several major photo awards in China.

Yet, he still can't live on his art alone, since photographic art's value isn't fully realized in China, he says.

So, he took a full-time job filming documentaries last year

"I have to pay rent and consider marriage. I only create art when inspiration strikes," he says, jokingly.

He's currently working on a documentary about students from migrant workers' families in China's capital that will be screened next year.

Liuzhang graduated from Tsinghua University's School of Materials Science and Engineering.

This background pushed him to focus his lens on university labs in the United States and China. He was able to obtain access through his friends who work in them.

He's the only person among his classmates to pursue art, but he's not sure about his future direction, especially in terms of media.

However, he is certain he'll balance two careers in long term.

"I'm not a typical artist," Liuzhang says.