Lifu Hu, originally from Chengdu, China, has made New York her home and established herself as a dedicated photographer with a keen eye for capturing moments through her lens. Despite her academic background in Electronic Engineering from Chongqing University of Technology, Lifu followed her passion for photography and earned a Master of Profession Studies in Digital Photography
Born: Chengdu, China
Now: Jersey City, United States
@lifu_hu_vivian | www.lifuhuphoto.com
INTERVIEW
Lifu, how did your passion for photography come about?
The first time I got into photography was when I just started college. I met a photography teacher who inspired me greatly. She taught me how to use the lens to express my feelings, how to convey emotions through setting, people’s actions, and on-site lighting. These lessons are still very valuable to me today.
Your passion for photography grew, and besides your technical education, you obtained a Digital Photography degree from the School of Visual Arts. What are your plans for the future – do you intend to fully dedicate yourself to photography or experiment with the language of self-expression?
Photography is just one tool for expressing myself. Besides wanting to learn more about photographic techniques and artistic concepts, I also want to find a way that suits me to convey myself better. Apart from taking photos, I really enjoy writing in my diary. So, lately, I’ve been thinking about combining my diary entries with images to create a narrative visual language.
Tell our readers about your works and your style. In your projects, you use contrast and often incorporate red as an accent color.
I believe that artistic creation can unveil the inner world of the creator. I enjoy using vibrant and bright colors, perhaps because the emotions within me are tumultuous and intense. For me, red not only symbolizes passion but also implies a certain danger and a tense, fragile state. This aligns with what I want to convey about my first love experience—a mixture of self-passion and insecurity about the fragile nature of the current relationship.
One of your projects is “First Love.” The photographs in this series are filled with emotions and mood. I think the viewer can intuitively understand them without descriptions or comments. Do you set yourself the task of conveying ideas visually, without explaining anything to the viewers?
The project “First Love” is a combination of my relationship experiences and inner feelings. Most of my works are inspired by my personal experiences and feelings, derived from people and things around me, such as friends, family, and lovers. I believe that most people have experienced or are experiencing family issues or relationship problems. Although each person’s feelings may vary, there are still some commonalities. It’s these commonalities that allow me not to need to use a lot of language to explain my works because it’s not about a viewpoint or idea, but rather about feelings that everyone experiences.
Despite the relatively recent start of your artistic career, you already have a fairly extensive list of participation in exhibitions. Are you inspired by someone or are you deliberately using all opportunities like a hungry creator?
I participate in various exhibitions inspired and supported by my teachers and my friends. Because I am not good at socializing, it’s difficult for me to make people aware of myself and my works through various social activities. However, promoting myself online and in various exhibitions is relatively easier for me, and I have also received a lot of positive feedback. So, this also motivates me to continue doing this.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Keep a passion for art, preserve purity within oneself. Use your own language and means of expression to convey yourself; only sincere works can move oneself and the audience.