Focus on the ordinary

One day, Lin contacted Cao after seeing herself in Cao's work at an art museum. She told Cao that she had set up her own company in the education industry, and was no longer a factory girl.

Lin began working at the bulb factory at the age of 16 to support her family. After working with Cao, she was eager to see the world outside the factory. She then quit the job and went to school. Now, she is an entrepreneur.

"I never thought that my work would enlighten the dreams of others. Lin's case was like a miracle for me. Put it another way, her story is the typical Chinese dream," Cao says.

The artist's fascination with those less well-off is influenced by Hong Kong movies and local television series of the last century, both of which often concentrated on the marginalized.

"When I was little, my friends were children from families of ship factory workers, cooks and cleaners," Cao says.

As her artist father worked on sculptures, Cao has learned art since she was a child. Her hometown's opening-up to the world also allowed her to assimilate different cultures across the world as she was growing up. Cao began filming videos when she was a teenager.