A cross-media panorama of art by established and emerging women artists in China, including Cao Fei, Lin Tianmiao, Luo Yang, Ma Qiusha and more Since the beginning of China’s economic boom in the late 1980s, its art has attracted global attention. However, there is a notable lack of Chinese women artists represented in national and international exhibitions and publications. Stepping Out! is the first publication in 25 years to present a representative selection of the work of contemporary Chinese female artists, both pioneering and emerging. These artists explore personal and social fears, contradictions and hopes, and shed light on the search for identity both as a woman and as an artist within a rapidly changing China. The book gathers more than 100 artworks by 27 artists born between 1960 and 1994 living in mainland China, including Cao Fei, Lin Tianmiao, Luo Yang, Ma Qiusha, Tong Wenmin, Wen Hui, Xiao Lu, Xing Danwen and Yin Yiuzhen.

九十年代中，随着国家战略调整，曾经的三线工厂被国家废弃，所有员工及家属全搬到离工厂近二百公里外的省会城市的生活区生活。这些三线工厂地处大西南的深山沟里，当年国家投资几十亿元建设而成，有成千上万人在那工作和生活。所有的三线工厂都一样,有派出所、学校、医院、邮局，完全是一个完整的小社会。可现在，那里如同一座座鬼城，只有那二三个原来的老职工在守着那破旧而废弃的厂房，那成排的生活区家属楼空工一人，楼前杂草从生，那些以前三线人栽种的苹果、梨树全无人管，任由它自生自灭。当年备战备荒留下来的后遗症，没经过严密的科学论证就匆忙上马，而因这些三线厂很多人的命运也因此而改变，60-70一代的父母，大学毕业后国家分配到这三线厂工作，很多也只有永远的留在了大西南。 这本书是对曾经辉煌的再访和缅怀,记忆和现实在胶片上得以追踪。