For the past seven years, Colette Fu has been making one-of-a-kind artist books that combine photography with paper engineering. Pop-up and flap books originally illustrated sociological ideas and scientific principles; Fu constructs her own books on how our selves relate to society today. Limitations, experience and experimentation with the media lend a strong problem-solving component to Fu’s process.
In 2008, Fu was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to create a photographic pop-up book of the 25 ethnic minorities residing in Yunnan Province, China, from where the artist’s family descends. 25 of the 55 minority tribes of China reside in the Yunnan and comprise less than 9% of the nation’s population, with the Han representing the majority. Fu uses her artistic skills to spread knowledge and provide a brief portrait of their existence.
