Yitong Lu is a Chinese artist. She spent her time in key high school of a city in south-east part of China, where she established her interests and solid foundation in literature. She made a sudden but very determined decision to study art in college which was a decision that went against how most of the family would expect their children to do as a career. She attended in Academy of Art and Design majoring in New Media, Beijing University of Technology as a student ranked the 1st of Jiangsu Province in national art profession exam in 2012. She then continued seeking for MFA degree in FVNM department of SAIC. The same year, she was also admitted by China Academy of Art. Her works range from fiction, non-fiction to paintings and installations, They were awarded, exhibited and screened in institutions and galleries.

Artist Statement

With educational experiences in history of Modern Chinese Arts as well as Art and Design of Modern World, I excavate into potentials of an artistic conversation between these two different but intersected cultural environments. One of my focuses is to rethink about the cultural meanings in a modernized context. I experiment with cultural elements including literature, opera, language, architecture through deconstruction and reconstruction. It’s a way to find out how traditional elements can update their values in a contemporary context.

Apart from culture topic, I also focus on memories, emotions and narrative through film and installation. My narrative is mostly about a south-east city of China that I’m most familiar with. I use poetic narration, cross-cultural landscapes to build a detailed, intimate and meditative nostalgic space. I find a direction which is to trigger the diverse memories, emotions of different individuals through extremely detailed facts.

I also dig into the relationship between documentary, narrative and installation. I see installation as a more flexible and interdisciplinary media where cinematic language can be broken down into augments and generates multiple dimentions and experiences. Now I’m dedicated in the collaborated effects between the spoken and unspoken which can simply be explained as to use the absence of certain contents to generate meanings and narratives.

I seek for cultural and family roots which are embodied in my practice. I chose to study film in order to equip myself with strong artistic expression tools and language. With filmmaking, I feel both passionate and responsible to explore social issues, human relationships and emotions.

Pigment Ink Drawing Depiction of Nature, Animals. Form, composition, texture, and time engaged.
Shape of Absence This is a non-fiction with documentary and experimental cinematic language. In this work, death of my grandparents drives me to seek for an evidence of my past time. Likewise, the transforming homeland makes me feel a strong detachment from my early memories. I also dive into family history in order to find the answer for family traits that have a lasting impact on me and next generations.
Shape of Absence This is a non-fiction with documentary and experimental cinematic language. In this work, death of my grandparents drives me to seek for an evidence of my past time. Likewise, the transforming homeland makes me feel a strong detachment from my early memories. I also dive into family history in order to find the answer for family traits that have a lasting impact on me and next generations.
Shape of Absence This is a non-fiction with documentary and experimental cinematic language. In this work, death of my grandparents drives me to seek for an evidence of my past time. Likewise, the transforming homeland makes me feel a strong detachment from my early memories. I also dive into family history in order to find the answer for family traits that have a lasting impact on me and next generations.
Shape of Absence This is a non-fiction with documentary and experimental cinematic language. In this work, death of my grandparents drives me to seek for an evidence of my past time. Likewise, the transforming homeland makes me feel a strong detachment from my early memories. I also dive into family history in order to find the answer for family traits that have a lasting impact on me and next generations.
《Shape of Absence》 04/05/19 (Password: lyt2382746)
《苏Soo》 03/01/18