Lightpainter Introduction - Mafu Fuma - Interview Series #08

The lightpainting Community is small and spread all over the world. A close association, which is perceived far too little in the world of photography. We from "Lightpainters United" want to change this. In order to bring you some artists closer, we asked some artists, which are active on HIVE, to introduce themselves and to answer a few questions about light painting and their relation to it. Today we would like to introduce you ...

- MAFU FUMA -

01. Please introduce yourself shortly. Name, Age and where you from etc.

My name is Mafu Fuma and I’m 46 years old. I was born in Berlin and still live here.


02. How and why did you start Light Painting?

Because of the Love to a woman a had my first contact with lightpainting in 2004. I drew her a heart with two lighters during a longexposure and a 2nd curtain flash toadd me in the middle. 10 years later 2014, I made my second contact. This time it was initiated from the love to my new born child. During the Day I made some lovely pictures from him and during the night I started to do some experiments with fire again.


03. What means Light Painting for you? What is your motivation? What drives you?

I was never really good at painting. I learned sound engineering and music was more my element, but with light art I got an approach to painting. The interplay between the camera technique, light elements and the depth of darkness offers completely different possibilities for creative design than is possible anywhere else in painting. That fascinated me immediately. When I paint alone in my studio, it is like meditation for me. I dive deep into my paintings and can simply leave the world behind me, but when I go out into the night with other light painters it is an exciting adventure for me. I just love the versatility of this art.


04. What gear do you always carry with you?

Apart from my Sony camera and a tripod, I always carry a suitcase with various flashlights. Of course with many different color foils. Since I like to paint light discs, I always have my big rotation tool and other tools to swing or rotate the light. Fireworks and fog candles should not be missing, for example to draw silhouettes of the model. To add a cosmic element to my pictures I also have always my star stick with me.


05. What is your favorite environment to shoot in?

I prefer to paint in my studio. There I have everything I need and can work out concepts flexibly and also have spontaneous access to other options. The absolute darkness also allows me to realize longer concepts and work out each element step by step. Of course I also like to paint at Lost Places, but for that I need a finished concept in my pocket. Of course, ideas also emerge spontaneously, especially in collaboration with other artists, but nevertheless I'm preparing for this tour with a few ideas of my own.


06. What is your Workflow?

When I am in my studio I just try out a lot. If I like something, I remember it and try out other things that might fit to it. If a concept results from this, I prepare all elements and note the necessary exposure times for the objects. When I have determined all this, I write down a plan of procedure under the consideration that the model does not have to hold still for so long. Often it takes a few attempts to internalize the process, but at some point the picture is complete. I always try to get a better result until the next try is worse than the previous one, because then I know that it will not get better.


07. Who or what inspires you?

Inspiration can be found everywhere. I always carry a flashlight with me to see how the light is refracted when I illuminate certain objects. Often these are cheap plastic containers, or children's toys which give great colour structures. Most of them give me a few ideas. These I fix then on my rotation tool and often beautiful light mandalas arise. Lightpainting with children is also a lot of fun for me. The untamed fantasy of the children usually leads to great concepts. Ideas also often arise when I sit together with other people and we exchange ideas about certain topics. Male models usually want to be presented in a cool way and female models should not be without charm and eroticism.


08. Do you have 3 Lightpainters you would like to have a colaboration with?

I can consider myself lucky to have been on the road with many of my idols. Nevertheless, there are still a few that are on my list. I would like to meet the talented calligrapher Cisco from Morocco. He paints very dynamically and I would like to combine that with my light discs. I would also like to do a collaboration with one of the original lightpainting artist Jason Page. He has opened the door to this art for many interested people and has been actively promoting this art form for years. The English also have a very special style and Chris Thompson is one of the few people I haven't had the opportunity to paint with yet. His precision is very impressive and his pictures fascinate me again and again. Also the area he lives in seems like a dream landscape for light painting.


09. What was your most memorable Lightpainting experience, event, or moment?

The most beautiful memory for me is the first "Lightpainters United" meeting in Berlin.

Together with the light artists Sven Gerhard and Gunnar Heilmann we were once again looking for suitable Lost Places that were suitable for light painting. A friend of mine had just taken a new job at the "Malzfabrik". An industrial complex built in the years 1914-1917 in the Berlin district of Schöneberg, which was closed down in 1996. The factory is in a surprisingly good condition, many facilities are still intact, and scrap thieves and vandals have been successfully kept away. Together we looked at a huge building with innumerable possibilities for our art well suited rooms.

A few days later we sat together to agree on a date for our nightly visit to the Malzfabrik. Since the factory is very large, the idea came up: "We can take a few people with us when we go there". We invited Light Painter friends from all over the world to work, laugh and chat with them. Many of them were very enthusiastic and so we got twenty commitments from all over the world. Most of them were members of the Facebook group "Lightpainters United", so it was only natural that we chose this name for our meeting. The anticipation was huge on all sides. Finally we had the opportunity to meet each other personally.

When it came to the big event, it was as if everyone was already familiar with each other. The friendly and warm atmosphere was indescribable. We all felt equally connected. We laughed a lot, talked about light art and exchanged ideas. We put the endless ideas that came up into action in the following three nights. Great works of art were created during these nights and even a light artist proposed marriage with a photo. (She said yes.) There were so many special moments that I cannot summarize them all without it becoming a long book. It was really an encounter of a very special kind and this special weekend will surely not be forgotten so quickly.


10. What are your best or most favourite 3 pictures?

It is actually not easy to commit yourself to only three pictures. Many pictures remind me of a special moment or a nice event and that's why they are my favourite pictures, even if the pictures didn't turn out so well, but I tried to find three pictures from the view of the viewer and I chose these three pictures.

Titel: "Tropical Sundown"



Titel: "The Inner Circle"

Titel: "Inka Sun"

Thanks for taking the time for the interview and the inspiration mate!

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