At first glance, this could almost be two lions rearing against the night sky, their manes rendered in molten gold. Look closer, though, and what Chinese photographer Ziqiang Luo has actually captured is something rooted deep in folk tradition: a fire-based performance art still performed at festivals and celebrations across the country, in which sparks, flame, and molten metal are transformed into fleeting, sculptural forms.
Luo's photograph captures the essence of what makes these performances so photogenic: the sparks and flame briefly hold a shape, almost animal-like in this instance, before dissolving into the dark.
