Life on Thin Ice

Photographer Kiliii Yüyan is a storyteller who seeks to understand the world from many human perspectives. He's survived a hunting polar bear, charmed snakes in the sea, and found a place among communities at the edges of the world - all with a smile on his face.
From his Hézhè (East Asian Indigenous) and Chinese ancestry, Yüyan was driven to be curious about the natural world. For 20 years he built and paddled traditional kayaks, immersing himself in the practice of his ancestors. Today, he is a photographer committed to telling stories that help humanity understand itself and its relationship to mother earth.
Yüyan has photographed the cover of National Geographic Magazine three times, producing 14 stories for National Geographic since 2015, from a cover story on Indigenous North America to migratory birds of the Arctic. His 2020 National Geographic Society-funded project resulted in five stories on Indigenous stewardship from Mongolia to Palau, comprising the July 2024 issue of the magazine.
He is on an international speaking tour with National Geographic Live in 2024-2025, called "Life on Thin Ice." Yüyan is the 2023 recipient of the National Geographic Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling. He is also an award-winning contributor to TIME, Vogue and WIRED.