Nathalie Perakis — The Maker

Nathalie Perakis-Velat(also known by her Chinese name Bei Ling Yue), a Paris born photographer has traveled to many different countries and moved to Shanghai in 2010. Nathalie captures the residents of a city full of contrasts, highlighting anthropological changes of modern China. Adding digital manipulation, the artist definitely brings unique visual expression to the viewer.

Q:What are your general impressions of Shanghai, China?

A:Shanghai is a city full of energy. It reminds me of New York where I lived for a few years as a child and then in the early 2000’s. You have the feeling that everything is possible.

It is also a city full of contrasts. Symbol of a successful China, Shanghai is a combination of modernity and tradition, of authenticity and kitsch, of fantastic wealth and extreme misery,… perpetually changing at a frantic pace.

Q:How does it influence your photography work?

A:When I first moved to Shanghai in 2010, after living in different European countries and in the US, I had a cultural and emotional shock. This city has changed my life.

I love to spend hours walking around with my camera, capturing places, faces and situations that deeply move me. I try to understand the Chinese’s lives and culture.

Q:Where do you find inspiration?

A:Shanghai has given me fantastic inspiration and the gallery Art+Shanghai has trusted me from the beginning.

My first series ? Real Shanghai ? is the expression of a very strong impression about Shanghai when I first discovered the city. To me it clearly appeared to be a place full of real people living in an unreal environment.

The digital work helped me emphasize this vision. Thanks to collage and colour enhancement, the irreality became more obvious. When looking at my "Real Shanghai" pictures, people should be wondering what is real and what isn’t…

Chinese culture inspired my second series ? Natural Fireworks ?. By becoming more familiar with Chinese art, I realized the importance of nature in local art. I was also fascinated by the fireworks that are set off in many occasions. By playing with nature and light, I created these natural fireworks.

After this series, I felt the need to go back to the heart of the city. One day, as I was walking in a lilong on a sunny day, my eye was caught by an old awning, torn and worn. It looked beautiful to me. I took many photos of the fabric bearing the signs of time going by and then went back home to download them on my computer and check how the pictures looked.

I was very pleased and excited. I realized that there is beauty everywhere. It is all a matter of how you look at things. So I then went on a treasure hunt all around Shanghai looking for more awnings. Different colors, patterns, materials,… A new series was born !

Once I had put my series together, I felt that something was missing. Looking over and over at my photos, I noticed the cracks, the tear and wear of the awnings. And I suddenly realized that there was much more beyond them : the culture, soul and lives of the inhabitants. So I decided to go back to the neighborhoods and interview people about China, their lives, their culture.

Now I am working on a new and exciting project. It is a bit early to talk about it, but I can tell you that it does have a link with my previous works, relating to the evolution of the city and the human aspects of these changes.

And I am participating in a group show in January at MD Gallery on “Drawing”. One of my works relates to water calligraphy.

Q:How would you describe your lifestyle?

A:I would say that I have a positive, curious and healthy lifestyle.

I am a big fan of swimming. In the water, I release all the tensions and see things more clearly. Ideas often pop into my mind. I also enjoy yoga very much.

Culturally speaking, I love to go to museums and art galleries. Power Station of Art, Rockbund Museum, Yuz Museum, SCOP, Art+Shanghai gallery, MD gallery, ArtCN gallery, Beaugeste gallery, M97,… just to name a few of my favorites.

I also enjoy Shanghai’s nightlife and all the great dining options. Bund 3 is one of my favorites and especially Unico, where you can enjoy chef Mauro Colagreco’s fantastic cuisine and hang out for drinks and live music.

Nathalie Perakis-Velat（她的中文名为贝灵悦），出生于巴黎的摄影师曾去过很多不同的国家，并于2010年定居在上海。Nathalie捕捉到这座城市的居民充满对比，彰显着现代中国人类学的各种变化。数字化处理的添加，这位艺术家毫无疑问的给观众带来了独特的视觉表达。

Q:你对中国上海的总体印象如何？

A:上海是一个充满活力的城市。这让我想起纽约，我还是个孩子的时候在那住了几年，以及在2000年初的时候。在那里你会有一种一切皆有可能的感觉。

上海也是一个充满对比的城市。成功的中国上海的一个象征，它是现代与传统、真实与媚俗、梦幻般富有和极端穷困的结合......并以一个疯狂的速度不断变化着。

Q:它是如何影响你的摄影作品的？

A:在我生活在不同的欧洲国家和美国之后，2010年，当我第一次搬到上海，我产生了一种文化和情感上的冲击。这个城市改变了我的生活。

我喜欢花时间带着我的相机四处走动，拍摄那些深深打动我的地方、脸和情境。我试着去了解中国人的生活和文化。

Q:你在哪里寻找灵感？

A:上海给了我不可思议的灵感和艺术+上海画廊从一开始就信任我。

我的第一个系列《真实的上海》是当我第一次发现这个城市对上海一种非常强烈印象的表达。对我来说，这显然是一个所有真实的人完全生活在一个虚幻的环境中的地方。

数字化工作让我详述了这个景象。由于拼贴和色彩增强，非现实变得更加明显。当看着我的“真正的上海”的照片，人们应该知道什么是真实的，什么是不是...

中国文化激发了创作我的第二个系列《自然烟花》。通过对中国的艺术变得更为熟悉，我意识到大自然在本土艺术中的重要性。我也迷上了在许多不同场合绽放的烟花。通过融合自然和灯光，我创作了这些自然的烟花。

这个系列之后，我觉得有必要再一次回到这个城市的中心。一天一个阳光灿烂的日子，当我走在一条弄堂里，我被那里撕裂和磨损的旧雨篷吸引住了。它看起来是那么的漂亮。我拍了许多织物的照片，承载着时间流逝的迹象，回到家后我把他们下载我的电脑里，检查那些照片怎么样。

我感到非常高兴和激动。我发现美无处不在。这取决于你如何看待事物。所以我后来在上海各地展开了一次遮阳篷寻宝。不同的颜色、图案、材质……然后一个新的系列诞生了！

有一次，我把我的系列放在一起，我觉得缺了点什么。我把我的照片翻看了个遍，我注意到遮阳篷上的裂纹、破洞和磨损。我突然意识到这背后隐藏着许多：居民的文化、灵魂和生活。所以我决定回到社区给那里的人做采访，了解中国、了解他们的生活和他们的文化。

现在我正在进行一个令人兴奋的新项目。现在说这个项目有点为时过早，但我可以告诉你，它和我以前的作品有一定的联系，涉及到城市的演变，以及相应这些变化的人们所产生的转变。

另外一月份我会在MD画廊参加群展展出我的“绘图”，我的一个关于水书法的作品。

Q:你会怎样形容你的生活方式？

A:我会说，我有一个积极、自信和健康的生活方式。

我是游泳的忠实爱好者。在水里，我能够释放所有的紧张，更清楚地看事物。想法经常在这时候在我的脑海里浮现。我也非常喜欢瑜伽。

从文化的角度来说，我喜欢去博物馆和艺术画廊。比如上海当代艺术博物馆、上海外滩美术馆、余德耀美术馆、SCOP、艺术+上海画廊、MD画廊、ArtCN画廊、Beaugeste画廊、M97……这些都是我其中的一些最爱。

我也很喜欢上海的夜生活和所有很棒的餐饮场所。外滩3号是我的最爱之一，尤其是Unico，在那里你可以享用到大厨Mauro Colagreco梦幻般的美食，喝着饮料听着现场音乐在四周逛一逛。