Today, we're sharing an interview excerpt from our current print magazine. Photographer Nhu Xuan Hua offers surreal worlds
filled with colour, memory, tradition and narrative.
A: You’ve been defined as a fashion photographer – is this how you see yourself?
NXH: I have always tried to set myself free from any sort of labels. As a child, whilst living in a traditional household, I was constantly reminded of my condition as a girl, being told what a girl should or shouldn’t do (and be). This puzzled me in many ways, as I have always wanted so much from life. I think that labels limit people from exploring their greater selves. My work, whether it’s fashion or not, is inhabited by many emotional layers and the narratives are inherently connected to my past and present. I see them as a conversation between two opposite sides trying to understand each other. I enjoy bringing poetry into a confrontational space.
A: You often play with the human form. In what ways are you trying to expand on the ways figures are represented?
NXH: A body is nothing without its story. One doesn’t carry the other, but both can glow because the other exists. I have been diving into my family history for some years now; the people that I get to photograph reflect my observations of my relatives' features, even when I don’t purposely want to do this. Your mind and soul are incredible vessels for transporting stories, whether these are ever told or if they're kept inside. Examining the past means exploring relationships, whether physical or psychological. Our bodies are engines fuelled with care and love, but they are also fed with pain, which is equally important to portray.
A: You often work with recurring colour palettes – what do these shades signify, beyond their aesthetic appeal?
NXH: Colours are statements of sorts. They weigh as much as words translating a specific feeling. In a common universal language, we can all appreciate a bright blue sky for the sense of joy it conveys, as much as everyone knows that a pale blue sky often evokes a sense of calm or stillness. I think nature offers us definitions of emotions and states through colours, and that’s why those codifications have been used throughout cultures since the first stories ever told.
A: How do you see the future of fashion photography? What practices should we take into consideration?
NXH: People should accept the idea of being governed by slowness. Coming to terms with that idea would do everyone a lot of good, I think. The common ingredient to all practices – whether it's photography, sculpture or painting – is time. It's all about how generous you can be with it along the way.
Nhu Xuan Hua: Hug of a Swan is at
Huis Marseille, Amsterdam, until 4 December.
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