Subversive artist and photographer Lao Xie Xie squares off against Western society’s ideas of perfection in the media and art, instead finding allure in the challenge of discovering beauty in the less conventional and the imperfect. The artist, who believes that art is an act of freedom, uncovers beauty in imperfection, which he tells us requires a greater level of skill and yields higher artistic rewards. “For me, embracing imperfection is not just an artistic choice but a political act against the relentless pursuit of perfection dictated by society. It’s a moral stance, asserting that art should provoke thought and challenge norms rather than conform to them.”

Lao Xie Xie uses the gritty charm of analog photography to explore underlying themes of the transformative and rebellious spirit of Generation Y in Eastern culture. The artist’s distinguishable quasi-documentary style uses sexuality to question and redefine identities by pushing boundaries through his images. Though often placing sex and gender centrally in his lens, Lao’s images surpass mere voyeurism or eroticism. By capturing real bodies and celebrating their flaws and ordinary traits—some are too skinny, too short, and their private parts (which aren’t so private) are far from the exaggerated norms of porn—he demonstrates how imperfection in form and models can ignite the imagination, offering a depth of meaning absent in the slick surfaces of Western advertising, entertainment, and perfectionist art. It’s the rawness of Lao’s images that compels the viewer to actively engage with the work, forging a link between his art and our daily lives.