Young, Asian and different: the lives of China’s Gen Z, from love and sexuality to body positivity, explored in Chinese photographer’s new series

Self-centred, bold, and creative are words that come to Chinese photographer Luo Yang’s lips when she describes the subjects of her photo series ‘Youth’

Luo, a rising star, says she sought to demystify a generation younger than hers while shooting them objectively. ‘I don’t like to define things,’ she says

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Kaye in an image from Chinese photographer Luo Yang's series “Youth”, which portrays young people in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of China. Photo: Luo Yang

Published: 3:30pm, 14 Mar 2020Updated: 11:38am, 20 Nov 2020

Taiwanese model Ni Feiya looks like many of his contemporaries during the day. At night, however, he dresses up like a woman, wears make-up and performs as a drag queen. His “double life” defines his identity and social interactions.

His portrait, which was taken at his house in Taiwan, is part of Chinese photographer Luo Yang’s latest series, “Youth”. Although there isn’t a “behind the scenes” story to each picture, Yang says she tends to photograph subjects who have interesting backgrounds, and whose images exude their complex and diverse stories.

Yang spent most of 2019 photographing young people in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of China for “Youth”, which explores the region’s eclectic Generation Z.

“I’ve been taking pictures of girls for more than a decade now, mainly of my own generation [those born in the 1980s] and I’ve been including a lot of my own reflections,” Luo says. “As my own life moves forward and I feel that part of the need to release my own emotions has been met, there’s an urge to do something new – and capturing the younger generation is a part of this because it’s a group of people that intrigues me.”

Ni Feiya in an image from Chinese photographer Luo's new series, titled “Youth”. His “double life” defines his identity and social interactions. Photo: Luo Yang

Luo’s decade-long project “Girls” is emblematic of her career as one of China’s most prominent contemporary photographers. The series’ powerful and recognisable images – which focused on the evolving concept of womanhood – captivated global audiences and created the raw aesthetic that, along with its detail-oriented frames, define her work.