Margaret Liang

“Mountain of A” ponders with curiosity about body image, self-representation, gender; and subverts limitations of traditional representations of femininity and masculinity as binaries. My experience of bodybuilding allowed me to envision a space for my body outside of the rigid gender norms and cultural stereotypes. I attempt to create a similar space with photography: where I and my subjects are free to explore ways in which we’d like to be represented.

The series began with a self-portrait where I stood erect with weights. The image captivated me, and felt like an illusion: up to that point, I had been conditioned to perceive myself as merely feminine. I therefore began to recall times where I had been at odds with societal expectations of my body, skewing such expectations through the lens; at the same time inviting others to interact with me for the camera, creating moments of strength and tenderness, where our bodies empower, celebrate, challenge, contemplate. 

Through the process, I bring forth an inquiry about bodily and gender expressions, question the notion of masculinity being equal to maleness, and propose a body image that is soft and focused, but also strong and fluid.