A Chinese Woman Taking Naked Photos of Men in the UK
Yushi Li is a London-based photographer, originally coming from Hunan Province, China. Yushi decided to move to London and enroll to study for a Master’s in Photography in RCA, currently working her way to receive a Ph.D. in Arts & Humanities in the same college. She explores the dynamics of power between genders focusing on the difference between the female and male gaze.
Yushi explains that in her work The Dream of the Fisherwoman, it was imperative for her to shift from the representation of a woman as “someone else's wife or a desired object, but the creator of her own desire and dreams.” This leitmotif poses meaningful questions, which the society still has no tools to solve or offer a change in the approach.
We speak with Yushi about her decision to move to the UK and pursue photography. We discuss at length the topic of the female gaze in art and the way Yushi’s work is perceived. We touch on the technicality of creating images, the censorship on social media and issues that it raises, and Yushi’s plans for this year. The research is ongoing: starting from her first image shot at the beginning of her studies, I Am a Woman, So I Must Receive, a critique on and observation of society today. Yushi develops the topic with the Your Reservation is Confirmed series, moving to the short videos project I Hope You Like What You Have Seen.
‘I just asked my boyfriend this question, and he said, 'inquisitive and by turns cheeky and demure.’
I Am
Tell about yourself: Who is Yushi Li? What are some of your traits which your friends would describe? What was your first most memorable photo you took?
I would describe myself as a Chinese woman who is taking naked photos of men in the UK. I just asked my boyfriend this question, and he said, 'inquisitive and by turns cheeky and demure.' My first memorable photo is the one called, I Am a Woman, So I Must Receive, which is a photograph of a urinal with some roses in it. This was the first work I made when I started studying at the RCA. It was also the time that I started realising my focus on gender issues.
‘I always wanted to study abroad since I was a teenager because I wanted to learn about and see other cultures and experience different things. Especially as I wanted to do art, I think there are probably more opportunities in the West than in China.’
London
You were born and grew up in Hunan Province, China, later moving to London to study in the Royal College of Art. Tell about this decision to relocate. What are some of the differences or similarities you find between the Chinese and European cultures?
I always wanted to study abroad since I was a teenager because I wanted to learn about and see other cultures and experience different things. Especially as I wanted to do art, I think there are probably more opportunities in the West than in China.
I'm not very sure about other European countries, but from living in London for more than five years, I think there are, of course, quite a lot of differences but also some similarities between the British and the Chinese cultures. First of all, Britain is a capitalist country, while China is a communist country. In other words, politically and ideologically, we are very different. Secondly, we have different kinds of cuisines and languages, which in many ways affects people's behaviour a lot. In terms of similarities, I think, in general, both British and Chinese people are kind of reserved and not very good at expressing their feelings. But China is a very big country. People can be quite different in different parts of China. So it's hard to generalise it, which I guess is also true about the UK.
‘I changed the title to The Dream of the Fisherwoman because, in my work, I want the female figure to be no longer someone else's wife or a desired object, but the creator of her own desire and dreams.’
The Dream of The Fisherwoman
Your work, The Dream of The Fisherwoman, is inspired by Hokusai’s renowned painting, The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, in which he explores feminine sexuality, while in the photograph you turn the gaze toward male sexuality. What drove you to select the painting, as a starting point, for your work?
I think it's an impressive painting, and I really like the octopus, which is very fleshy, sensual, and erotic. I know that the tentacles are very phallic, and it is even a genre of pornography in Japan. I don't know why when I first saw this painting, I thought it would make more sense to have the octopus with a man, as those tentacles can tangle around the man and his penis like some soft hands. And I changed the title to The Dream of the Fisherwoman because, in my work, I want the female figure to be no longer someone else's wife or a desired object, but the creator of her own desire and dreams.
‘I was also surprised by some of the feedback I got, saying that the men in my work are gay men or these photographs are taken by a male gay photographer. I think it is really interesting that many people see these soft naked men as something homoerotic.’
The Female Gaze
Turning your camera to explore, research, and even admire the male body, you also create a turn in a common narrative, in which the female usually takes this position. What was the most surprising part of photographing naked men? What didn’t you expect to discover?
I was quite impressed by how different our bodies are. I found it quite funny when my models had to rearrange themselves from time to time during the photo shoot. I guess I never experienced having something that is almost like an extra part attached to my body in that way. I was also surprised by some of the feedback I got, saying that the men in my work are gay men or these photographs are taken by a male gay photographer. I think it is really interesting that many people see these soft naked men as something homoerotic, and how they assume that men are always the viewer/desierer, no matter if the looked-at is a woman or a man.
The Subject
You are present as an additional character in the photos you take. This creates an immense contrast to naked men in the images. You appear in clothes and also as an observer rather than a participant in the activity. From a technical perspective, how do you build the frame and this activity to take the photo during the second you need?
Normally, I would use a shutter release, which allows me to take the picture far away from the camera. If that is not possible, like in the skipping image, I would have a friend to help me click the shutter.
‘The different censorship between male and female nudes, for example, the nipples, is just another sign of how sexualised female bodies still are today.’
Social Media
Cropping and pixelating the images for Instagram is a common practice. Artists can show their work on personal websites and exhibitions. Art cannot be published on social media unless it follows the policy and is widely accepted by the platform’s users. What is your take on social media as a platform for artists today?
I think social media like Instagram does provide us a free and easily accessible platform to share and promote our work. This means that everyone has more chances to be seen by other people, which I guess in a way also makes everyone less special because there are just too many images everywhere. In terms of censorship, I kind of understand the reasons behind these rules and how the algorithm cannot distinguish art from porn. But the different censorship between male and female nudes, for example, the nipples, is just another sign of how sexualised female bodies still are today.
Upcoming Projects
What are your plans for 2021? What themes are you developing now?
I am planning to make more work, hopefully. At the moment, I am still mainly working on the question of the gaze in relation to gender, sexuality, and desire in different projects. One of them is the same series as The Dream of the Fisherwoman called Paintings, Dreams, and Love, in which I reflect on the staging of desire in certain classical paintings to make my own portrayal of the desired body and explore the male representation as an erotic subject.
Another one is I Hope You Like What You Have Seen, which is a series of videos of different men performing mundane activities for me to watch via Skype. Apart from these two current projects, I am also planning to make more abstract work about the desired body, using the male body as a canvas for me to explore the idea of desire, intimacy, and eroticism.
