Born in Wuhan, Hubei province, Muyi Xiao is currently studying at the International Center for Photography’s (ICP) one-year New Media Narrative program in New York City. In the summer of 2015, Muyi left her job when she learned she was chosen as one of seven Magnum Foundation Photography and Human Rights Fellows. As a fellow, she studied at an intensive five-week program at New York University.

Before coming to New York, she was based in Beijing and worked as a photojouranlist at Tencent, the largest online media outlet. Her career started in 2012 with a one-year internship at Reuters Beijing desk as an editor before becoming a photojournalist. Muyi covered a wide range of stories throughout China during her time as a photojournalist, including missing flight MH370, a cult religion called “Mighty God,” child marriages, and more. These dispatch assignments exposed her to a broad range of issues in her home country, inspiring her to pursue long-term stories as a documentary photographer. She plans to go back to China and continue her work as a documentary photographer after finishing her studies with ICP.