Colette Fu

I make one-of-a-kind collapsible artist’s books that combine my photography with pop-up paper engineering.  Growing up (in New Jersey), I was not proud of my Chinese heritage. After college graduation, I went to my mother's birthplace in Yunnan Province in Southwest China to teach English. Literally translating as “South of the Clouds,” Yunnan is rich in natural resources and has the largest diversity of plant life in China. This diversity extends it its population as well. I stayed in Yunnan for three years; it was these experiences that helped me find a new sense of pride and identity and encouraged me to pursue a profession as a photographer and artist.

With the help of a Fulbright fellowship, I traveled once again to Yunnan, specifically to photograph for pop-up books of the twenty-five ethnic minority groups that reside there. 25 of the 55 minority tribes of China reside in Yunnan and comprise less than 9% of the nation’s population. Many people inside China and most people outside are unaware of this cultural richness. I use my skills as an artist to spread knowledge and provide just a brief portrait of their existence. As I grow older, I start to understand the importance of preserving one’s identity and culture, and the significance of learning one’s roots. With pop-up books, I want to eliminate the boundaries between people. – Colette Fu

Colette Fu received her MFA in Fine Art Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her pop-up books are included in the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Getty Research Institute, Library of Congress, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many private and rare archive collections. Fu's many awards include a 2020 Joan Mitchell Artist and Sculptors Grant, and a Fulbright Research Fellowship to China. 

Colette Fu, Uyghur Food, edition of 10, 2021, Photographic Pop-up Book, Ultrachrome HD Pigment Ink on Ultra-Premium Presentation Matte, cardstock, Davey Board, Chromo Cloth, bonded leather, punched copper, acid-free adhesives, 35.35 in. wide x 35 in. deep x 17.25 in. high (changes with temperature), Courtesy of the artist