Throughout history, women’s bodies have been dictated by others. In her groundbreaking book The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf writes that “women feel guilty about female fat because we implicitly recognise that under the parable, women’s bodies usually are not our own but society’s.”  Within the Victorian era, particularly within the mid to late 1800s, women were encouraged to be ‘plump’ and ‘round’, because it showed men that they might make good moms and were ‘sexually available’. Within the Twenties to Nineteen Eighties, the best female form shifted towards thinness because the figure of the feminine sex symbol had “trimmed down dramatically” during this time. As beauty standards proceed to vary, women change together with them, turning themselves inside out with a purpose to be seen as “beautiful” within the eyes of others. This exact struggle was the motivation behind Yolanda Y. Liou’s latest photo book, Thank You For Playing With Me [co-published by Stockmans Art Books].

Shot over three years from 2019 to 2022, Thank You For Playing With Me is an intimate take a look at two plus-size models, Enam Ewura Adjoa Asiama and Vanessa Russell. Liou first got here across Asiama’s Instagram in 2019 and was blown away by her confidence and charisma. It was the style of confidence that Liou struggled to have about her own body as a result of her upbringing in Taiwan. “Growing up in Taiwan, I used to be consistently exposed to the relentless beauty standards that prioritised being skinny”, Liou tells Dazed. “This obsession led me to imagine that I used to be never beautiful enough, and consequently, I felt unworthy of affection. I continually sought ways to adapt, believing that only then would I be accepted and appreciated.”

“I create images. Images don’t create me” – Yolanda Y. Liou

When she first got into photography, she was still attempting to capture what society defined as beautiful. “It was a mirrored image of my struggle with low self-esteem regarding my very own appearance,” Liou confesses. Nonetheless, over time, she began to query her reasoning for this and realised that beauty standards do not need to make her or anyone else feel powerless. “I’m a photographer. I create images. Images don’t create me.”

Thank You For Playing With Me follows Asiama and Russell through times of joy, grief and childbirth. We see the pair braiding one another’s hair, doing one another’s makeup and cuddling. The photo book looks like a sneak peek into their private world; one full of love, pleasure and acceptance. “Once we wrapped [the photo book], I didn’t feel drained in any respect!” Liou exclaims. “As an alternative, I used to be full of an amazing sense of heat and joy, as if I had spent the day fiddling with my sisters. I expressed my gratitude by saying, ‘Thanks for fiddling with me!’ and that ultimately became the title of the book.”

Liou’s fundamental aim with this photo book is to assist people embrace their individuality: “It’s crucial to spotlight that there’s an unlimited diversity of body types, and we’re all human beings. By showcasing this diversity, we hope to supply people a broader spectrum of representation and empower people to embrace their uniqueness. If we are able to witness more diversity and see that others seem like us, it may set us on a more positive path much earlier in life.”

Thank You For Playing With Me is co-published by Stockmans Art Books and is offered for pre-order here. If you happen to live outside of the UK and would love to pre-order the book you’ll find it here.

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