In Between Worlds Part II (Kaikai)

This series marks the second chapter of an outdoor collaboration with Kaikai, photographed in January 2025 during his final days in London. Winter in London is unforgiving. Frost covered the ground, ice lingered on bare trees, and the air carried a quiet severity. Under these extreme conditions, Kaikai pushed his body to its limits, committing fully to the project. I remain deeply grateful for his trust, resilience, and unwavering support throughout the process.

In Between Worlds is a long-term photographic project that seeks to reconsider the complexity of gender and identity, with a particular focus on how LGBTQ+ individuals navigate self-expression within both personal and social contexts. The project’s first participant, Kaikai Zhou, is originally from Taiwan. He is vibrant, open-hearted, and radiates an unmistakable presence, both in life and across social platforms. As a trained dancer and public speaker, Kaikai possesses not only technical precision but also a rare emotional openness. His warmth and optimism have the ability to transform a space instantly, offering a sense of relief and connection to those around him.

This body of work focuses on the emotional depth and physical elasticity through which Kaikai articulates his identity within an LGBTQ+ framework. The images trace the fluidity of his body and the intensity of his gestures, reflecting the ongoing negotiation of gender, selfhood, and becoming. His heightened sensitivity to detail and strong emotional intelligence emerge through his thoughtful, empathetic engagement with others, as well as through the composure he maintains when facing both internal reflections and societal expectations.

As the chapter II of In Between Worlds, this series captures Kaikai’s personal journey of embracing and expressing identity, while simultaneously echoing the broader, collective exploration undertaken by LGBTQ+ communities. Through visual inquiry, In Between Worlds reveals the layered construction of identity, the multiplicity of gender expression, and the ever-evolving landscape of self-awareness.