Captain China 2021-Ongoing

The Chinese government has recently been addressing a perceived "masculinity crisis," with officials warning that the portrayal of "effeminate" men in popular culture is corrupting a generation. President Xi Jinping has called for young men to exhibit "toughness and strength" in a speech given in 2021. This performance project is a long-term exploration of the relationship between my body and musicality, in which I will document the changes in my body through photographs taken every time I gain 10 pounds. Growing up, I was frequently told that I was not masculine enough due to my perceived weakness and skinniness. These toxic messages about masculinity and societal pressure to conform to certain body standards left me feeling ashamed of my own body. I can no longer reclaim my own sense of self-worth and body positively, due to the expectations placed upon me by society. By documenting the changes in my body over time, I hope to create a dialogue about the effects of toxic beliefs about masculinity on people.