I was practicing this project since November 2011. I would choose it because, firstly, I come from China and we have no any launderette. So, I am very curious about this place. And more, for me the launderette ismore like a ‘Microscope’, through it which can reflect some typical British social and cultural issues from its inside world if I want to know and understand about people’s life. Secondly, which reasons encourage me to do this project are from the British movie ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ [1985], which mixed the racism and sexism issues and had caused considerable attention in the international film world. I was thinking at that time why the story background would be set in a launderette by the director Stephen Frears, instead of to put it in some other places, such pubs or supermarkets.
Launderettes are classical and fascinating. More ordinary if I compare them to supermarkets, pubs, libraries and similar places and spaces where people meet and socialise. Launderette is used through necessity, and the only real motivation is to clean ones clothes and in essence there is no reason why you would want to socialise, relax or unwind in the space. They are sometimes noisy and hot.
I think this awareness that you are not pressurised to engage or socialise creates a special environment. Like a bus journey, you have to wait. Nothing can be helped to speed up the driver nor to make the spin cycle go quicker. This can be a very therapeutic process.
I think users of launderettes quietly enjoy this ritual of literally ironing out ones life laundry, whether it involves talking to others, people watching or relaxing. In this way, launderette could be seen as a social centre.
Launderettes are in decline. According to NALI [the National Association of the Launderette Industry], numbers in the UK peaked at 12,500 in the early 1980s but have since have dwindled to just 3,000. [BBC News] With this decline, many launderettes have not been upgraded for the past 20 to 30 years. Therefore, what can we do before it completely disappears from our life?

Jiwei Han

I was born in 1980 in Beijing, China. My undergraduate degree is about 'Computer Science and Technology' and graduated at 2004 from the Beihang University, China. After that, I had been worked as a Software Engineer for 5 years and as a Software Project Manager for 2 years in a famous IT company. 
My 1st experience of photography was in 2004, at that year I met my girlfriend. In order to record our first time of date, I borrowed a compact digital camera from my friend and took the first picture in my life. Suddenly, I found I followed in love with photography and began to self-study, because my first picture for me it looks very lovely and always can let me recall our happy moments in our first date.
Due to my endless love of photography, at 2011 I want to change my life and followed my dream of photography. At January I sent some of my street pictures that I took on Beijing's streets in past seven years as my portfolio to the University of Wales, Newport, tried to apply its MA Documentary Photography course. Fortunately, I got the offer at March. Hence, at August, I gave up my Project Manager's job and came alone to study in Newport. So, for my project -- 'Launderette', that is my first project in my life and I try my best to practice it as good as possible.

Contact : han.jiw@gmail.com