One Year On: Yajing Hu

The winner of the 2018 MullenLowe NOVA Awards was MA Photography student, Yajing Hu. Her final project, ‘Heartbeat’, was inspired by the human heartbeat itself, which is proof that we are alive. The judges love the clever execution of this simple idea, which is why she took home the top prize.

With the 2019 MullenLowe NOVA Awards just around the corner, we caught up with Yajing to see what she’s been up to in the last year.

What it was it like to be crowned the winner of the 2018 MullenLowe NOVA Awards?

It was wonderful for me to be named the winner of the 2018 NOVA Awards. Whilst creating ‘Heartbeat’, I wondered if I was too immersed in my own small world, and too emotional. However, this award has reinforced my belief that there are many people with whom I have things in common and have shared emotional experiences.

How has winning helped further your work?

The generous financial support that I received as part of the award enabled me to concentrate on developing ‘Heartbeat’ further and create new work. Since graduating and returning to China in August, the award has really alleviated my financial stress, allowing me to afford more time and energy on my beloved art career.

I have also just been nominated as a finalist in the 2019 Three Shadows Photography Award in China. I could not have got this honour without the NOVA team’s generous support!

Find out more about Yajing’s work and upcoming exhibitions here