Thank You For Playing With Me

Thank You For Playing With Me dives into researching the concept of modern beauty, documenting portraits of Enam Ewura Adjoa Asiama and Vanessa Russell from 2019 to 2022. This project is an intimate record of that journey.

I do not want anybody to feel the way I felt.

Growing up in Taiwan, the pressure to conform to a standard beauty in Asia was relentless and it took a toll on me physically and mentally. I was trying to be more like the perfect people I saw in the media so that I could feel more worthy of love. When I started to take photographs, I became obsessed with capturing beautiful people - in a society’s conventional ideal way. Later on, I realised I was compensating for my own struggle with low self-esteem and began to question the underlying motivations, and the origins of my perception of beauty and to reflect on my intention as a photographer.

In 2019, I came across Enam’s Instagram profile and was enchanted by her charisma. I didn’t recognise her confidence at the time - being comfortable in your own skin. Then it suddenly clicked... I am a photographer. I create images. Images don’t create me.

I wanted to do something. I wanted to show there is more. I wanted to make people feel good about themselves. I proposed to Enam to do a photoshoot and she invited her best friend Vanessa to join. I asked them to authentically express themselves. Throughout the day, we shot from outdoors to indoors, experimenting with our own various styles and props. When it was a wrap, I was overwhelmed with joy and warmth, like I had spent the day playing with my sisters. I expressed my gratitude by saying, “Thank you for playing with me!”

We collaborated over the next three years, going on a journey of transformation personally and collectively and finding our own foot in the world with career changes and moving cities, grieving lost ones and celebrating new life - sisterhood, womanhood and motherhood. Enam and Vanessa’s unwavering courage in overcoming life’s obstacles constantly inspires me and our connection and mutual support have been essential in creating this photo book.

It aches my heart every time I hear someone loathing themselves for how they look. I want to give them a hug and tell them “you’re beautiful!”, like how I wish I could have held my younger self, who experienced self-hatred due to a lack of awareness about self-worth and alternative options. The struggle for self-acceptance proves to be a global phenomenon, fuelled by the pervasive influence of mainstream and social media. Over recent years, I’ve observed gradual changes in the industry, even though trends play a part. But change has to begin somewhere. I’m grateful to be able to tell stories in a way that I wish I had been shown by the world. It’s a call for all of us to play, to be human, and to celebrate the unique beauty that resides within each of us.

Our relationship with our body is a life-long journey. It is a constant reflection, dialogue and understanding with ourselves. We all need more compassion, not only towards each other but also towards ourselves. We have autonomy over our appearance but it’s crucial to consider our true intentions. When we love ourselves, we make the best choices that align with our worth because we know we deserve the best.

Thank you for playing with us.

Thank You For Playing With Me

Published by Bruno Devos at HOPPER&FUCHS, 2024

Available worldwide here.

UK order / signed copies here.

Yolanda Y. Liou is part of Münchner Kammerspiele X Der Greif: “Off to Elsewhere”.