If you’ve ever spotted someone crouched beside the water at Burns Bay Reserve with a camera and an intense look of concentration, you may have caught a glimpse of Lane Cove local Clara Chiu immersed in her passion. And it’s paid off, as last Thursday, Clara was announced as the winner of the Greenwood Hotel Emerging Artist Prize at the inaugural Lifeline Art Show North Sydney. Her winning piece, Meandering Trees, is a mesmerising work of fine art photography that reflects her deep connection to nature and her growing passion for abstract water photography.
Clara’s work isn’t just beautiful—it’s deeply personal and her journey into photography has been anything but conventional. These days, you’ll find her ferrying her two boys to school and sports, volunteering for the local junior rugby club and catching up with fellow creatives at the Lane Cove Creative Photography group or Lane Cove Art Society. She’s also one of the artists featured on the Greenwich Village Arts Trail.
Clara’s artwork exhibited at the Lifeline Art Show North Sydney.
Clara will also be sharing her story at the very first Say Something Live Presentation, hosted in the Pottery Lane Performance Space on Tuesday, April 15 from 7–9pm. The event is part of a new series supported by Lane Cove Council. You can grab tickets here.
We had a catch-up (virtually) with Clara to learn more about her journey, what inspires her, and her connection to the local creative scene.
A Chat with Clara Chiu
What inspires you as a photographer?
To me, the most fascinating aspect of photography is that every photo you see, is about a moment that everyone, apart from the photographer, has missed. A photo captures not just the subject matter, but the photographer’s perspective and emotions of that moment, which are reinforced in the editing process.
Where are your favourite places to shoot in Lane Cove?
I love photographing the beautiful waters of Burns Bay Reserve and Woodford Bay. Still very much exploring!
How did your photography journey begin?
I’ve been taking photos for as long as I can remember (read decades!). My photographer father taught me photography and mentored me in the craft. He was a man of few words but photography connected us on a deep level.
As an attempt to find meaning in my daily life in Hong Kong during the universally difficult Covid years, I set up a business in portrait photography and a charity campaign to raise funds for the Hong Kong Cancer Fund through taking family photos. The charity has special significance to me because our family and friends have been affected by the horrible disease.
My family returned to Sydney nearly three years ago. One day, round this time last year, whilst I was grieving for the sudden passing of my father, I started taking photos of the shifting forms and patterns of water near the Art Gallery of New South Wales. That’s the beginning of my water photography and Jōzen Art [Link: www.jozenart.com], my current business.
Prior to the birth of my second child, I worked for many years as a financial services lawyer, initially in Sydney and then in Hong Kong, where I was born.
Tell us more about Jōzen Art.
Jōzen Art is where I share and sell my fine art photography as limited-edition prints. They’re printed on museum-quality, archival paper—cotton rag, for that soft, painterly texture. Some of my upcoming pieces will also be printed on metallic cotton rag and even aluminium, depending on what suits the image best.
The name “Jōzen” (上善) comes from a Japanese phrase meaning “the highest good is like water”—a beautiful concept from Taoist philosophy that speaks to the nature of water and how I try to capture it through my lens.
“Whimsical Breakthrough captures a moment of playful reflection in Middle Harbour, where bold whites and blues ripple across the surface. The dancing orange detail, likely a reflection from a boat’s mast or flag, adds a lively contrast to the water’s serene movement and highlights the unexpected beauty in fleeting moments.” – Clara Chiu
What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?
Keep taking lots of photos of your surroundings with a super-dose of curiosity. It will come to you – seemingly out of nowhere – what subject matter speaks to you the most (and otherwise!), as it did to me.
What are your most recent achievements?
I’ve been extraordinarily lucky this year to be listed as Finalist for the Soho Art Prize (for Sunset in Miyazaki), and to win the Greenwood Hotel Emerging Artist Prize of the Lifeline Art Show North Sydney (for Meandering Trees), for which she was also listed as Finalist (for Meditation by Sand and Water).
I volunteered as a telephone counsellor for Lifeline many years ago so it was particularly special that I could have the opportunity to raise funds for the charity in a new capacity, and for a charity to which I have a personal connection.
Congratulations Clara for receiving this exciting award and recognition as the emerging artist to watch out for! We look forward to seeing more of your beautiful photos in the future of Lane Cove.
You can explore more of Clara’s captivating abstract photography and sign up for her newsletter at jozenart.com.
