Pixy Liao, EXPERIMENTAL RELATIONSHIP VOL. 1, 2018

The photographs in Pixy Liao’s photobook “Experimental Relationship Vol. 1” are a humorous yet sincere examination of Liao’s relationship with a younger man.

Raised in China, Liao had been brought up with the expectation that she will only love someone who is older and more mature than her, who can be her protector and mentor.. In the end, she got together with Moro, a man five years her junior. She became the person who has more authority & power. This divergence from the authority and power dynamic becomes a central part of her playful series.

“My photos explore the alternative possibilities of heterosexual relationships. Moro made me realize that heterosexual relationship doesn’t need to be standardized. […]

The purpose of this experiment is to break the inherent relationship model and reach a new equilibrium. Because my boyfriend is Japanese, and I am Chinese, this project also describes a love and hate relationship.” — from Pixy Liao’s introduction