The photo captures horses galloping at dusk. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]

As the year draws to a close and the Year of the Horse approaches, photographer Zhao Yongsheng unveiled his solo exhibition Steeds in the Clouds on Dec 28 at the Xing Junqin Art Galleryin Heishui village, Shouyang county, Shanxi province. The exhibition showcases more than 50 of Zhao's works, the result of his years-long dedication to horse-themed photography.

Adding to the atmosphere, Mongolian singers performed live, infusing the exhibition with a strong ethnic flavor. In the photographs, horses gallop across vast grasslands or stand quietly at dawn and dusk. Precise use of light and shadow sculpt their powerful forms, while softly blurred backgrounds evoke the immensity of nature, seamlessly blending vitality with a sense of boundless grandeur.

The photo captures horses running through water. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]

A native of Shouyang, Zhao shared the inspiration behind his work. "My fascination with horses comes from deep admiration," he said. "They are humanity's most loyal companions – intelligent, courageous and free-spirited." Over the past five years, Zhao has traveled extensively across Inner Mongolia's grasslands, living among herders, forging friendships, and observing horses up close. "This is not merely documentation," he noted, "but a tribute to the spirit of courage and freedom that horses embody. It is the most precious chapter of my photographic journey."

What moves him most, Zhao added, is the gaze of a horse – calm yet profound, like a bottomless lake, imbued with an innate, eternal alertness. In that silent exchange, he senses a powerful tension between absolute loyalty and absolute freedom. "They are guided by reins, yet never lose the instinct to run; they serve humans, yet retain a storm-like, untamed soul. This pull between restraint and freedom is life at its most moving – and the most compelling force photography can capture."

The photo captures horses walking across vast grasslands. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn] 

The photo captures horses walking across a snow-covered field. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn] 

The photo captures a close-up of a horse's eye. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo captures horses walking across vast grasslands. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo captures horses galloping across vast grasslands. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo captures a horse resting on the grassland. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]

The photo captures horses galloping across vast grasslands. [Photo by Zhao Yongsheng/cpanet.org.cn]