Liuxu Luo

This is a set of lighting installations, initially inspired by local markets in every city Liuxu lived in. There are lots of native vegetables and plants, local people and their daily lives, which made her feel connected, even if in the beginning those were unfamiliar place. From an aesthetic point of view, markets are also superb collections of things that an outsider has never seen; the many colors, textures and layers of objects and foods would attract her greatly.
In a journey, Liuxu loves the process of unpacking the luggage, and putting something on the table or wardrobe. It feels like creating one’s own space in an unknown place. Her other favorite thing is to enjoy all the lightings in an unknown room. Turning on a lamp makes people think about home, even when they are traveling.
She therefore combined these elements to create her artwork, planning to make a set of vegetable shaped lamps. She chose oranges, germinative onions and artichokes as her references. The lamps can be packed together in a suitcase. She produced her own naturally-dyed fabrics, using onion skins, avocado seeds and orange peels. She then laser cut them into small flowers, imitating the crowded texture and the layers of flowers one can often see at the markets. The laser-cut pieces are attached to leaves-shaped organza, to form the colors of vegetables. Combining them together she obtains abstract 3D shapes of oranges, onions and artichokes and in these she finally installs light bulbs.
Every time we travel to a new place we can bring this suitcase with us, unpack it as soon as we arrive and turn any room into our own, lighting it as if it where our home.