Thibault d'Auriol

“I am entirely self-taught and am continually intrigued by both my successes and my mistakes”

Intercru: Where are you from?

Thibault: I was born and raised in Hong Kong, an amazing place that I am very grateful to be able to call home. My mum was also born and raised in Hong Kong, to Chinese and Austrian parents, and my dad moved there from France when he was 23 to start work.

Where do you live and work now?

I currently live and study in Berkeley California, where I am an undergraduate student at the University of California Berkeley. As of right now, I am finishing my last year and semester, trying to make the most of it, whilst also figuring out where to go next.

What is the best gift you’ve ever been given?

I wish I could say “my grandfather’s old Leica” or something like that, but unfortunately my grandfather never had a Leica, nor have I ever fished an old camera out of the desk drawer at my grandparents and suddenly bequeathed it upon myself (much to my disappointment). I feel like “the best gift” is almost impossible to quantify so I’m going to take the easy, if not cliché answer, and say that I am grateful for the life that I am able to live and for all the people that are included within it.

What’s your favorite season of the year?

I feel that my favorite season is entirely dependent on where in the world I am. In Hong Kong, the winter months are the most beautiful, hands down (the summers are unbearably hot and humid!). Almost anywhere else in the world it would have to be spring or summer. Although, I do love to ski so this is a reluctant answer!

Who’s your favorite band or musician?

Another extremely tricky question that I have had to think about for much too long! I could only narrow down my selection to five: The Smiths, Gorillaz, Marvin Gaye, Sade, and Daft Punk. You don’t realize how difficult that was for me!

What was your first job?

I’m currently a student so “(f)unemployed” is the name of the game at the moment. I have had the odd internship here and there to garner experience and to figure out what I want to do post-graduation.

I’d say my favorite of these was an internship I did in London with a creative agency called ITB Worldwide that collaborated with brands in creating ideas and concepts followed by the procurement of talent for these campaigns. I just loved being able to live in a new city, while also being immersed in the creative world.

If you could meet any celebrity in the world, who would it be?

David Attenborough, the OG. Hands down one of the most influential figures in my life, whom I have never met.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?

I know for a fact that I haven’t achieved it yet. I’d say up to this point in my life, it would have to be my pursuit of photography, in all its forms. I am entirely self-taught and am continually intrigued by both my successes and my mistakes. Film photography is a tedious and expensive hobby that, to many, doesn’t really make sense in comparison to normal photographic avenues.

If you could travel back in time, when and where would you go?

I think I would do the 1970s and just explore as much of the world as possible. I think Europe at that time would have been amazing, the Mediterranean jumps to mind! It also would have been incredible to go to places that had yet to have been touched and to see what the world was like before the technology of today. No more smartphones and social media would be a pretty lush experience in my opinion.

Who knows you the best?

My family, and within that, my mum. I feel like I’m a pretty straight forward person to read (when you know me) and my mum has gotten exceptionally good at knowing when things are going well and, most importantly, when they are not. She’s the best.

In 3 words how would you describe yourself?

Stubborn, inspired, and impatient.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

This is a question that I ask myself pretty often at the moment. I only have a few months until I finish University and am at the stage where I am trying to find out where I want to end up. There are so many places in the world where I would want to live but it’s all about finding the right place, with the right job opportunities, and the right timing. I have my eyes on Europe (London, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Paris are all intriguing) but I am also looking to extend my Visa here in the United States (I love the Californian lifestyle and passing up a 1 year visa extension would be silly). I am not entirely sure where I will end up but I am keeping all my options open and am extremely excited for what lays ahead!