"Architects are trained to see a space before it's realised, so I
think photography helps me with that. But I'd also say it's the other
way around. My training helps me with the way I photograph. I look at
space with a more symmetrical eye, and you see a lot of symmetry in my
photos." Vivien Liu
Vivien Liu studied architecture at the University of Waterloo and then
attended Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, where she was
awarded the prestigious Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design. As an
architect, she has worked for nearly a decade in the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom, China and Hong Kong, where she now resides
and first took up photography. As a photographer, she quickly developed
a strong sensibility portraying space as seen through the first person,
which now defines her style. What began as a weekend pastime has
transformed Vivien into one of the most prolific urban photographers in
Hong Kong, attracting over 240,000 followers on Instagram.
Her first book, Being There explores the dialogue and tension
between people and spaces through portraiture, landscapes, and street
photography, from the urban density of Hong Kong and Tokyo to epic
natural landscapes like Zhangjajie, China. With an architect's artful
eye, Ms. Liu captures this juxtaposition in the most beautiful way,
sharply highlighting her eye for patterns and symmetry across settings.
