Intimate portraits of London’s international students in their rooms

When Kaishui Yikai Liu first arrived in London in 2019, the city felt full of possibility. He had moved from Wenzhou in southeastern China to begin an MA in Fashion Photography at the London College of Fashion, finally committing his love of image-making to study. “Initially, I was excited by everything,” he tells Dazed in a conversation over email. But after the outbreak of the pandemic forced him to return to China and take a break from his studies, doubts began to set in.

“When I resumed my degree in the UK, my confidence took a hit. The language barrier made me hesitant to express myself, and the online classes made it difficult to connect with my new classmates,” he recalls. “On top of that, my future after graduation felt uncertain. I was anxious to step outside my social circle and express myself, and I started questioning whether studying abroad was the right choice after all.”

Liu confronted those feelings through his work. In 2022, he embarked on a two-year documentary project, photographing more than 30 Chinese students who had also chosen to study art and fashion in the UK: “People who, like me, navigate between different identities in the complex terrain of existence in London.” Currently on display at Perfetti Gallery, his portrait series Between Your Eyes and Mine is a subtle contemplation of self-identity, cultural difference, and the tension between belonging and alienation for those living far from home.

“Over the years, London has become more than just a place to study. It’s a city full of stories and connections” – Kaishui Yikai Liu

Working with layers of interiority, he shoots his peers in their domestic surroundings, capturing the interplay between emotional and spatial geography. His sitters are framed by objects from home – bed sheets, books, magazines, cuddly toys, and trinkets. “Though liminal, these temporary living spaces hold deep significance: they are not just places to stay but also reflections of a psychological sense of belonging,” the photographer says. “I think these details show that the students are actively constructing their own worlds.”

Liu’s project began as a kind of reckoning, triggered by his own discontent and his scepticism towards China’s “study abroad wave”. The big question plaguing him: “Was it all worth it?” But over the course of the two years, through shoots and conversations with his subjects, he realised that the answer mattered less than the photographic process itself.

“The project was originally titled You Can See Your Own Way Out, as I was focused on the struggles of international students and whether they could truly leave their mark in a foreign land,” he explains. “But by listening to their stories, I understood that this experience isn’t something that can be easily defined. There is no single answer, and perhaps there doesn’t need to be.” Liu’s shift in perspective crystallised when he encountered “Between Your Eyes and Mine”, a poem by the Syrian poet Adonis. One line, in particular, resonated deeply: “I see what I do not comprehend / and feel the universe flowing / between your eyes and mine.”

“Adonis provides the reader with the image of being held in someone else’s look, where intimacy, trust and affection come together in this shared moment,” Liu says. “I knew this was the essence of what I wanted to capture with my lens – the unspoken connections photography can create between people. The brief instances when our gazes meet and our experiences overlap. I realised that what truly matters had always been present, ‘between your eyes and mine’.”

After his exhibition wraps, Liu hopes to step away from the city to pursue artist residencies in more remote locations, returning to urban life “with a richer vision for my work”. London remains his anchor. “Over the years, London has become more than just a place to study,” he reflects. “It’s a city full of stories and connections. It’s not always gentle – at times, the realities are harsh. But it’s an inseparable part of my life.”

Between Your Eyes and Mine, curated by Cristiano Mantovani, is on show at Perfetti Gallery until 20 March, 2025. Keep up with Liu’s work via his website and Instagram.