This Photographer Is Painting A New Picture Of China’s Subcultures

China. A very big country featuring 56 minorities and one Party line. A very traditional society which offers little to no room for, or at least frowns upon, those who do not toe the line.

Think those women who have long bid Adieu to the prime age of 27 and still remain single (the so-called “leftover women”). Think our plain high-school Jane who doesn’t show up at her mandatory extracurricular math, English and piano lessons (and that’s just Monday) and instead opts to sneakily get out of her tracksuit uniform and chill out on a hutong rooftop. Think homosexuals in general (seen “Shock The Gay Away”, anyone?). Or think drag queens - or any man/woman who feels more comfortable dressed as the opposite sex, for that matter.

I’ve personally always considered these “judgmental” calls made in Chinese society to be quite ironic, especially given that some of the nation’s most prided and historical art forms, think Beijing opera (jingju), are among the most androgynous (avant-la-lettre) you can spot in global cultural history. In the particular case of opera, it is custom for male actors to take on the female leads. And they must train, mastering the elaborate makeup, words and staple opera “mannerisms” for years on end, in order to just be allowed to get up on that stage.

Either way, it’s usually these social “quirks” (I think using the term “outcasts” would be overly dramatic) who are the most appealing or interesting to us outsiders. Sexuality in China is a confusing and very much “alive” concept in a rapidly changing scenario that has only been conceived some three decades ago. People, especially those born after 1990, are seeking and developing their individualities, a topic which can raise questions in terms of their own gender and sexuality.

Their journeys may at times be controversial or confusing yet always beautiful and outstanding. (You may take the latter literally.) Enter Brit Tom Selmon, documentary photographer. Selmon has chosen to swim the sometimes stormy waters of the current change in thinking about gender and sexuality among China’s 20-somethings. He follows and captures their voyage and outlook (both on life as in its most literal sense) on camera. Hence, without further ado, here follows a quick chat with the man himself:

Back to basics: Why photography?

Selmon: “Why photography? It may sound silly, but I just thought it would be something I’d be rather good at. I’ve always wanted to create things, even when I was younger. Photography allows you to create something instantly. I was actually based in London, shooting fashion among other things.

“Aside from editorial undertakings, I was attempting to expand my focus and shoot different scenes in London, such as the drag and LGBT ones. I am gay myself and therefore the “bond” or affiliation was already there. One friend of mine already living in Beijing told me about everything going on there, the ongoing changes in society and the new generations there, and I thought I’d check it out.

“I discovered after arriving here [Beijing, that is], the photographic possibilities in Beijing were absolutely fantastic. So I stayed.”

What is it about men in makeup that fascinates you?

Selmon: “I am a photographer of people; I like to document people from all walks and scenes of life. I do especially adore the male beauty, the definitions of the male. That’s probably also why I think drag queens often look striking. When makeup touches male bone structure I think it is magical.

“I have since arriving in China, not so much focused on (or photographed) the drag scene (just on the fringes), but more on the absolutely exquisite performance scene; different dance-groups, club acts… Amazing, each and every one of them.

“I simply enjoy focusing on unique faces and people. Bringing out, again, their individual beauty.”

What makes Beijing stand out from the crowd for you?

Selmon: “Since arriving here, I’ve been more into the youth of Beijing and what they’re doing, yet perhaps mostly the queer side of that. I aim to document what this new generation is striving for in 2016. Some type of gender or sexual revolution, as I’ve called it before, is taking place across the streets of Beijing.

“The city and its people have some kind of “flow” going for them; both gender and sexual borders are being crossed and are, in fact, slowly fading. They are putting themselves out there; they dare to bare themselves. Which is exactly that what makes them very so attractive to my lens. It’s a kind of innate beauty for me. One that also shows in the face.”

-

Even though this is admittedly written from a very Western POV, the concepts of gender and sexuality, in my opinion, fail to mingle in mainstream Chinese culture.

Gender can go anywhere, but there’s beauty everywhere. Besides, why focus on the bland, or blend in, if you can snap the bold. And the beautiful.

Visit Tom Selmon’s site to learn and see more of his work