Yuka Hirac stretches and distorts photos to create uncanny worlds born from teenage subcultures

Yuka Hirac likes to render perceptions malleable through her photography, bookmaking, and multidisciplinary practices, initially starting up in London studying makeup. “Whether it’s skin covered in makeup, or a photograph printed on paper, I’m interested in moments when perception fluctuates slightly through layering, creating moments of both uneasiness and beauty,” she tells It’s Nice That. Building on her previous diary books, Metabolism and My creation rubbish, her fourth diary book jajaja... 瞑想散歩 tightens into a bold approach and applies a haunting futurism utilising retro-style type, outlined in vibrant and contrasting yellow and red – reminiscent of internet-cafe shop signage. Her collages cover the pages and are outlined like overlapping desktop windows, creating what seems like a chaotic homage to early-internet social media and web design.

Yuka is influenced by “teenage subculture, the visual effects of film and video, stories, and words,” she says. The beauty of the strange is celebrated across Yuka’s diary book and her avant-garde style both remembers the past and looks to the future in tandem. Type and photo are the heroes of Yuka’s work, both displaying a bold rich visual world in collaboration. “My influences are primarily the sights and objects of everyday film,” Yuka concludes.