Liu on the street in Shanghai.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"Although the process is convoluted, I enjoy it as a way to communicate with myself, which helps me discover who I really am," Liu says, adding that focusing on the photography allows her to break free of restraint.

After about a year or so, she decided to drop the facial element. It tended to catch the viewer's attention to the detriment of the full composition. She started to take self-portraits without showing her face.

"I think the body is as important as the face and is worth recording. Through my work, I want to show that women are soft and delicate outside, while strong inside," Liu says.

She has released 14 series of self-portraits, with two main themes highlighted－the symbiosis between people and nature, and seeing things from different and unusual perspectives.

"The former means that humans and the rest of the natural world are equal; since we live in the same world and breathe the same air, mutual tolerance is required," Liu says, adding that she tries to find a state of harmony between people and nature in which beauty will be embodied.

The latter refers to looking at the same thing from different angles－something which is represented by the use of mirrors.

"Things we are familiar with often remain in a fixed image, but I am trying to convey through my work that if we look at the same thing from different angles, there will be different findings. This does not just apply to objects, but also aids in the understanding of others and our own hearts," Liu explains.

She admits that she has always longed for symmetry and perfect order, where everything is in balance, which cannot exist in the real world.

"The reflection of the mirror expresses the fusion of the reality and the world in my mind," she says.

Liu concludes that on her artistic journey, the current challenge she faces is how to maintain her photography style without repeating herself.

Contact the writer at wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn