Bride

在 《无着装规范》（No Dress Code）中，Sébastien Lifshitz 指出，变装是一种自我表达，不一定与性取向或性别焦虑相关。对有些人来说，它是一种探索；对另一些人来说，它是一种对真实自我的表达，或是对社会性别规范的抗争。

尽管18世纪西方社会曾禁止异装，这一群体仍在地下持续坚持，挑战社会偏见。Lifshitz 认为，身份是流动且多样的，不应被固定定义。CN Lester 也强调：“希望你能看到真实的我，而不是你所期望的我。” 这一抗争让我深受触动。在 《潘多拉的盒子》（Pandora’s Box）中，Juliet Jacques 将异装视为一种身份，而变装则是一种行为，取决于个人的动机和经历。台湾电影 《阿莉芙》 展现了这一主题：在职场受压抑的男子，在酒吧变装表演中找到自由，表明表演也是一种对抗社会压力的方式。

Bride最初构思为人像摄影，灵感来自 Sylvia Sleigh 的油画 《新娘》，其中她的丈夫身着婚纱。这促使我探索性别表达与视觉叙事。在书籍设计上，我借鉴 《The Song Book》，结合摄影与诗歌、歌词或电影字幕，以深化观者体验。红色作为婚礼背景，因为在中国文化中，红色象征吉祥与传统。这个项目让我更深入理解身份认同，不仅是对自身的探索，也是对他人的理解。我意识到，艺术的不断探索，是发现自我的关键。


Bride (2019)

In No Dress Code, Sébastien Lifshitz points out that cross-dressing is a form of self-expression and is not necessarily related to sexual orientation or gender dysphoria. For some, it is an exploration; for others, it is a way of expressing their true selves or resisting societal gender norms.

Despite laws banning cross-dressing in 18th-century Western societies, this community persisted underground, continuously challenging social prejudices. Lifshitz argues that identity is fluid and diverse, not something to be rigidly defined. CN Lester echoes this sentiment:

“See me as I am, not as you want to.”

This ongoing struggle deeply resonated with me. In Pandora’s Box, Juliet Jacques describes transvestism as an identity and cross-dressing as an action, shaped by individual motivations and experiences. The Taiwanese film Alifu illustrates this theme: a man oppressed in the workplace finds freedom in performing as a drag queen in a bar, demonstrating that performance can also serve as an act of resistance against social pressures.

My project was initially conceived as a portrait and documentary photography series, inspired by Sylvia Sleigh’s oil painting The Bride, which depicts her husband wearing a wedding dress. This led me to explore gender expression and visual storytelling.

For the book design, I drew inspiration from The Song Book, incorporating photography alongside poetry, lyrics, or film subtitles to enhance viewer engagement. Red was chosen as the wedding backdrop because, in Chinese culture, it symbolizes luck and tradition. This project has deepened my understanding of identity—not just in relation to myself, but also in how others perceive and define themselves. I have come to realize that continuous artistic exploration is the key to self-discovery.