Xiaochen (Eric) Lu 陆啸尘 (b. 2000, China) is a Chinese artist and photographer currently based in Chicago. He has graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. As a passionate photographer since 2013, Lu enjoys documentary photography the most but is also experienced in numerous other genres of photography such as portraiture, landscape and analog. Additionally, Lu works with other mediums such as screen printing, graphic design and moving image as well.
Lu primarily explores mark-making, the human condition and social activism in his work.
Statement
“Life swings like a pendulum backward and forward between pain and boredom.” Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer has spelt out the truth about human life more than two centuries ago. Through my work, I intend to portray and examine the inescapable suffering ingrained within life and the intricate essences of the human condition. I document, capture and present the various ways people experience and endure pain, misfortunes and tragedies during both everyday life and unusual times. It is my hope that my work can evoke empathy and raise the viewer’s awareness for those in pain.