Pink Fantasy

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project © Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project © Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project View all images ↓
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  • Dates
    2025 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Topics Contemporary Issues, Fine Art, Portrait, Social Issues, Studio
  • Location New York, United States
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Pink Fantasy explores the gendered situation, identity and agency of East Asian women, especially Chinese women living in major cities abroad through portraits and close-ups, incorporating symbolic visual elements such as the color pink and various fruits

Inspired by the words of feminist scholar Chizuko Ueno— “Being a woman isn’t a gender, it’s a situation.” —Pink Fantasy explores the gendered situation, identity, and agency of East Asian women—especially Chinese women—living in major cities abroad through the lens of migration. Their stories are also my stories, which is why I am also one of the subjects.

Pink Fantasy currently features nine Chinese women—all born between 1960 and 2000 and currently living in New York City—with more to be added. Some of them are my friends, while others I met through social media. Each participant represents a specific theme, such as their family of origin, anxiety related to identity and status, career concerns, and the complexities of intimate relationships, marriage, and fertility. In addition, they reflect differences in gender identity, self-awareness, and cultural belonging. It was clear that for them, migration and being in a foreign country heightened these issues.

I invited each subject into the studio and conducted an in-depth conversation prior to the photoshoot. These conversations were edited into oral histories for the accompanying book. Along with identifiable portraits, I shot body close-ups, usually of their hands, all against a uniformly pink background. I chose the color for two reasons. First, from a social perspective, pink is closely associated with femininity from birth, permeating visual domains such as popular culture, media, everyday contexts, and products targeted at women. Second, pink is frequently used in commercial and fashion photography to represent female-oriented themes. Even I, as a working professional, have often relied on it unconsciously. For this work, I used it quite intentionally to comment on the way it stereotypes female subjects. In the session, I also asked the subjects to choose a fruit that they felt represented themselves. Similar to pink, fruits are often associated with femininity; women are frequently compared to juicy, sensual fruits in literature, film, and everyday discourse. These metaphors carry strong implications of social discipline and the male gaze.

Using staged photography, oral histories, symbolic elements, and other forms, the project constructs images that examine East Asian women’s presence, choices, and positions within social structures.

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I’m Julie, born in the 1980s, from Henan, China, living in New York for 13 years. I realized being a woman in my teens, growing my hair long in Singapore. Marriage pressure challenged me. I followed rules in my twenties, then chose my own path with therapy and friends. I learned femininity is a choice, not weakness. For Pink Fantasy, I chose lemon: versatile, subtle, sweet or salty.”—Julie

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I’m Julie, born in the 1980s, from Henan, China, living in New York for 13 years. I realized being a woman in my teens, growing my hair long in Singapore. Marriage pressure challenged me. I followed rules in my twenties, then chose my own path with therapy and friends. I learned femininity is a choice, not weakness. For Pink Fantasy, I chose lemon: versatile, subtle, sweet or salty.”—Julie

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I’m Julie, born in the 1980s, from Henan, China, living in New York for 13 years. I realized being a woman in my teens, growing my hair long in Singapore. Marriage pressure challenged me. I followed rules in my twenties, then chose my own path with therapy and friends. I learned femininity is a choice, not weakness. For Pink Fantasy, I chose lemon: versatile, subtle, sweet or salty.”—Julie

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Xin Liu, born in the 1990s, an international student from Shanxi, China, living in New York for a year. In China, women face social pressure to marry and have children by a certain age. I grew up with an older brother. I was expected to do housework, while he was not. For the Pink Fantasy, I chose kiwi: its hairy skin acts as social armor, while the flesh reflects my softness”—Xin Liu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Xin Liu, born in the 1990s, an international student from Shanxi, China, living in New York for a year. In China, women face social pressure to marry and have children by a certain age. I grew up with an older brother. I was expected to do housework, while he was not. For the Pink Fantasy, I chose kiwi: its hairy skin acts as social armor, while the flesh reflects my softness”—Xin Liu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Echo Gu, born in the 2000s. I am a designer, bridal stylist, and model from Dalian, China, living in the U.S. for nine years, in New York for one.Being a woman means tenderness and empathy, but also sensitivity often misunderstood. For Pink Fantasy, I chose watermelon: genuine, affordable, and refreshing. I want to be like it—sincere, warming, and leaving kindness behind."—Echo Gu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Echo Gu, born in the 2000s. I am a designer, bridal stylist, and model from Dalian, China, living in the U.S. for nine years, in New York for one. Being a woman means tenderness and empathy, but also sensitivity often misunderstood. For Pink Fantasy, I chose watermelon: genuine, affordable, and refreshing. I want to be like it—sincere, warming, and leaving kindness behind."—Echo Gu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Echo Gu, born in the 2000s. I am a designer, bridal stylist, and model from Dalian, China, living in the U.S. for nine years, in New York for one. Being a woman means tenderness and empathy, but also sensitivity often misunderstood. For Pink Fantasy, I chose watermelon: genuine, affordable, and refreshing. I want to be like it—sincere, warming, and leaving kindness behind."—Echo Gu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Carie, born in the 1980s, from Fujian, China, living in New York for over ten years. I didn’t have a moment realizing I was a woman, but I feel pressures like fertility decline with age. I froze my eggs in my thirties to focus on life without rushing major decisions. For Pink Fantasy, I chose pineapple: representing my desire to be stronger while keeping inner sweetness.”— Carie

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Carie, born in the 1980s, from Fujian, China, living in New York for over ten years. I didn’t have a moment realizing I was a woman, but I feel pressures like fertility decline with age. I froze my eggs in my thirties to focus on life without rushing major decisions. For Pink Fantasy, I chose pineapple: representing my desire to be stronger while keeping inner sweetness.”— Carie

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Roselyle, born in the 1990s, an independent filmmaker from Beijing, China, living in the U.S. for twelve years, in New York this year. As a Chinese woman, I face online harassment from incels. The best part of being female is creating life; the hardest is others coveting this ability. For Pink Fantasy, I chose tomato: women can expand imagination without changing their nature.”— Rosely

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“My name is Roselyle, born in the 1990s, an independent filmmaker from Beijing, China, living in the U.S. for twelve years, in New York this year. As a Chinese woman, I face online harassment from incels. The best part of being female is creating life; the hardest is others coveting this ability. For Pink Fantasy, I chose tomato: women can expand imagination without changing their nature.”— Rosely

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Mei Lu, born in the 1960s, an artist from Henan, China, living in New York for 13 years. As a Chinese woman, I married, had two children, faced my husband’s infidelity, and divorced. As a mature Asian female artist, representation is limited—I often organize my own exhibitions. For Pink Fantasy, I chose peaches: blossoms symbolize love, ripe fruit fertility, abundance, and longevity”— Mei Lu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Mei Lu, born in the 1960s, an artist from Henan, China, living in New York for 13 years. As a Chinese woman, I married, had two children, faced my husband’s infidelity, and divorced. As a mature Asian female artist, representation is limited—I often organize my own exhibitions. For Pink Fantasy, I chose peaches: blossoms symbolize love, ripe fruit fertility, abundance, and longevity”— Mei Lu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Mei Lu, born in the 1960s, an artist from Henan, China, living in New York for 13 years. As a Chinese woman, I married, had two children, faced my husband’s infidelity, and divorced. As a mature Asian female artist, representation is limited—I often organize my own exhibitions. For Pink Fantasy, I chose peaches: blossoms symbolize love, ripe fruit fertility, abundance, and longevity”— Mei Lu

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Joy Island, born in the 1980s, a photographer and visual artist from Beijing, China, now in New York for one year. My female awakening came after 30, through relationship losses, age, and fertility anxieties, and self-healing over 9 years. For Pink Fantasy, I chose the apple, which resembles Asian identity. I wrote ‘love’ on it, I feel I am gradually learning to face my scars.”—Joy Island

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Joy Island, born in the 1980s, a photographer and visual artist from Beijing, China, now in New York for one year. My female awakening came after 30, through relationship losses, age, and fertility anxieties, and self-healing over 9 years. For Pink Fantasy, I chose the apple, which resembles Asian identity. I wrote ‘love’ on it, I feel I am gradually learning to face my scars.”—Joy Island

© Joy Island Lei - Image from the Pink Fantasy photography project
i

“I am Joy Island, born in the 1980s, a photographer and visual artist from Beijing, China, now in New York for one year. My female awakening came after 30, through relationship losses, age, and fertility anxieties, and self-healing over 9 years. For Pink Fantasy, I chose the apple, which resembles Asian identity. I wrote ‘love’ on it, I feel I am gradually learning to face my scars.”—Joy Island

Pink Fantasy by Joy Island Lei

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