Phillips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College
Dana Gallery
August 28 – December 7, 2018
Colette Fu’s one of a kind pop-up artist books are based on her ancestral explorations. Fu traveled to China’s Yunnan Province, where 25 of the nation’s 55 minority tribes reside, and she documented the customs of several groups, including her mother’s tribe, the Black Nuosu Yi. Her exploration in the varied cultures of China culminated in a remarkable body of intricate pop-up books and photo collages titled We Are Tiger Dragon People. Fu says of her work, “Pop-up and flap books originally illustrated ideas about astronomy, fortune telling, navigation, anatomy of the body and other scientific principles. This history prompted me to construct my own books reflecting ideas on how our selves relate to society today.” Fu’s unique process with its origins in photography cumulates in meticulously composed collages, offering an opportunity to foster cultural dialogue about identity, Chinese culture and art making practices within our community. Colette Fu received her M.F.A. in fine art photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. Her numerous awards include a Fulbright Research Fellowship to China and grants from the Independence Foundation, Leeway Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Puffin Foundation and Society for Photographic Education. A passionate educator, Fu teaches pop-up courses and community workshops to marginalized populations at art centers, universities and institutions internationally. “Colette Fu: We Are Tiger Dragon People” is curated by Amy Moorefield, Director.
