This looks better irl – Exploring Cosplay Cons is a new book by Chinese/Canadian photographer Xiaoxiao Xu (@xiaoxiao_xu_) that follows a group of young people as they prepare for and attend cosplay conventions in Western Europe.

Xu’s work is largely focused on people who relate to traditions and social conventions, and exhibits a growing interest in the influence of Asian culture on Western society – as evidenced here, through cosplay, an increasingly popular variant of performance art in which participants use costumes and accessories to portray a particular character that is usually drawn from the world of comics, pop culture, anime, manga, video games and films. Their self-made costumes range from amateurish to life-like and allow participants to channel a personalised interpretation of the character assumed.

The cosplay community is a diverse one, with a great deal of mutual acceptance and therefore a large proportion of neurodivergent people. Xu’s book examines the community spirit, individuality and their personal challenges of one group and explores a perceived overlap between cosplay the social and emotional pressures exerted on this demographic today. 

Xiaoxiao Xu was born in 1984 in Qingtian in southeastern China, moved to the Netherlands during her teenage years. This transition and living half of her life amid a different culture has broadened her perspective. Her photography, which navigates the delicate line between documentary and autonomous work, reflects her dual perspective as both insider and outsider.

Xu graduated cum laude from the Photo Academy Amsterdam and has since exhibited her work internationally in museums and festivals, with exhibitions at venues such as the Times Museum in Guangzhou, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Switzerland.

Xu has been recognized with numerous awards and nominations, including the Lucie Photo Book Prize and the Jimei × Arles Women Photographers Award. Her books have received critical acclaim, with Shooting the Tiger being honored among the Best Dutch Book Designs in 2023, and Aeronautics in the Backyard selected as one of the best photo books by De Volkskrant and The Guardian.

The Eriskay Collection, 196pp, 16cm x 24cm, illustrated paperback, 2024