Diana Lui's camera is considered by artists today too difficult
to use because of its bulky form, weight and its lack of mechanical
flexibility.
However, the Malaysia-born Chinese photographer has used this
large format camera to produce many female portraits that are
regarded as better than those from digital cameras.
Packing her large 810 view camera, Lui began traveling around
the world some 14 years ago. She then transformed her images into
life-size prints (up to two meters high) for exhibitions in many
art festivals, galleries and museums.
A total of 88 such portraits are on display at the
Guangzhou-based Guangdong Art Museum after their first viewing in
the ancient town of Pingyao of Shanxi Province at an international
photography festival in 2003. The show runs until April 15.
"I tried to capture the inner thoughts of the people I have met
during travels. These works reflect a strong combination of human
beings and the environment," Lui said.
While many of her works have been snapped up by private
collectors, museums and art institutes worldwide, Lui hopes to
eventually install her works in public places, such as walls along
public streets and historical buildings.
"The idea of this public project is to allow people to become
aware of their primordial existence in this world where their lives
are usually governed daily by racial, social, cultural, political
and economical structures," she said.
Diana is also passionate about filmmaking, which she defines as
today's "story-telling".
In collaboration with the New York Film Academy, her first short
film was made in 2002, revealing how social and sexual hierarchies
are established through the Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art and
dance.
"In both her photography and film, you sense the oriental
philosophy of 'the unity of heaven and human beings'. For example,
facing the trees in her pictures inspires a magical feeling that
the trees are alive and have strong desires to co-exist with
humans," said Wang Huangsheng, curator of the Guangdong Museum of
Art.
(China Daily April 7, 2007)