Exclusive Interview with Lillian Liu, 3rd Prize Winner of the MPB Photography Award, 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize by Andrea Kovacic
A photographer, visual alchemist, and consummate storyteller, Lillian Liu has long inhabited the borderlands between fantasy and critique — where silk meets steel, where beauty confronts expectation, and where archetypes are not just reimagined but rebelliously reclaimed.
Lillian Liu was recently awarded 3rd Prize in the MPB Photography Award, part of our Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2025, for her audacious and gleefully subversive photograph “Slut Royale: A Feminist Reclamation.” True to its title, the piece doesn’t tiptoe around polite sensibilities — it marches right up to a historically weaponised word and crowns it in powdered wigs, cigarette-curlers, stripper heels, and a defiantly unbothered gaze. It is reclamation as spectacle, reclamation as satire, reclamation as joy.
What makes Lillian Liu’s work magnetic is that it’s never only about ornament or shock — behind the pearls and spikes lies a meticulous construction of world and character. To enter a Lillian Liu image is to parade into a costume, a persona, a psychological landscape — one stitched together from equal parts whimsy, rebellion, and poetic intent.
In our conversation, Lillian Liu speaks with warmth and conviction about transformation, the politics of beauty, the strange theatre of social media, and the delight of building characters who can say what the world sometimes cannot. She is, in every sense, an artist who understands the power of the mask, the costume, the frame — and what can happen when a woman steps into them on her own terms.
Interview with Lillian Liu
“Slut Royale: A Feminist Reclamation” reclaims a word that’s often used to shame women. What first sparked the idea for that project?
The term “slut” is often used as a derogatory term, because it plays into deep-seated societal attitudes that manifest as limitations to self-expression and identity. This includes labelling individuals as objects of ridicule to be dehumanised. What first inspired the idea was seeing videos on social media of women, and how quickly the “Madonna-Whore” complex could be spotted in both comments and reactions, where people were projecting their assumptions about complete strangers.
The series mixes decadence, glamour, and rebellion. How did you want viewers to feel when they see those images?
I want them to see the juxtaposition of it all!
Marie Antoinette embodies the contradictions of her time. Her extravagance and perceived indifference to the plight of the people made her a target of scorn but her tragic end and status as a symbol of both tradition and revolution helped immortalise her.
We also tried to break down the presumption around the presentation of her image in a rigid “high society” sense tied to “proper decorum,” hence throwing in visual symbols like cigarettes as hair curlers, spikes, stripper shoes, open legs, and grungy smudged makeup that comes with a night of too much partying.
Marie Antoinette appears as a central reference — what drew you to her as a symbol, and how does she connect to modern ideas of femininity?
Marie Antoinette is quite a polarising figure. I think she captures the performative aspect of beauty and style that we have in the modern day (think beauty/influencer social media posts that focus on extravagant lifestyles), as she was often known for her excess in both fashion and decor and was an absolute trailblazer in terms of style (and influenced the entire European sphere when it came to taste). You could call her an influencer of that time!
She presented an ideal that was out of reach for many due to the economic situation, and yet coveted. And still, she faced something similar to many women today – slut shaming. “Marie-Antoinette en Gaulle,” a painting which showcased the Queen in a simple, muslin dress, was scandalous and rebellious because the dress was considered an undergarment of the time, and this work heavily damaged her reputation. She then tried to present herself as a modest, loving, and responsible mother in another painting, but it is a similar story overall to how public perception of a woman is affected moreso by how sexually modest she is first, as opposed to any of her other actions.
What first inspired the idea was seeing videos on social media of women, and how quickly the “Madonna-Whore” complex could be spotted in both comments and reactions, where people were projecting their assumptions about complete strangers.
You clearly have a love for fantasy. What are the worlds — literary, cinematic, or otherwise — that you keep returning to for inspiration?
I love fantasy because it’s a sandbox where whimsy still lives, and where reality can be bent. Worlds I grew up with include reading folklore and poetry from around the world, and writers like Lewis, Tolkien, Anne Rice.
Walk us through the process of creating a new work. Also, how do you decide what to construct digitally and what to capture in-camera?
For me, my work is very character-driven, so the character comes first before the world around it! So the planning of the world is secondary- but questions like “Who is this character? Why are they here? How can the setting support the figure?” are often asked. Digital elements are usually decided through budget! I prefer to capture the real location when possible, but it is nice to have ways around it in the modern world.
A lot of your work explores transformation — through costume, performance, or persona. What does transformation mean to you as an artist?
Transformation means adopting a whole new identity and becoming someone new! Much like how kids play pretend with vivid detail, I strive to replicate that sort of feeling. Stepping into costume for a photoshoot represents a powerful act of transformation, and models/clients do feel it. It is not merely the physical act of wearing an ensemble, but the process of embodying a new identity that channels distinct narratives. This creative transformation allows individuals to explore and express facets of themselves as well!
Post-production also transforms a photograph and augments reality, and is something important to my process.
How do you think social media and digital platforms shape the way people engage with feminist art today?
Social media has transformed engagement with art in general. Platforms allow artists to share work directly with audiences, sparking dialogue that spans a global scale. This visibility amplifies a large range of voices, while also blurring boundaries between art, protest, and pop culture. All three can be found in the online space, under a single comment section. It truly is the golden age of content. However, algorithms, censorship, and commercialisation can shape or dilute specific messages as well.
Why did you enter the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Art Prize?
I entered because I love Beautiful Bizarre and how they are the perfect springboard to find so many incredible artists! I’ve also loved the curation of Haven Gallery for many years, and felt like this would be worth a shot!
It is not merely the physical act of wearing an ensemble, but the process of embodying a new identity that channels distinct narratives.
What do you feel you have gained from this experience?
I’ve gained wonderful opportunities- but most importantly, I feel a sense of community through this experience and a good amount of support! Overall, that is priceless to me.
Would you recommend it and encourage others to enter? If so, why?
Absolutely! It’s a great chance to be a part of something that genuinely values quality artistry and unique viewpoints. It is one of the best prize experiences I’ve had for sure!
Winning the Beautiful Bizarre award for “Slut Royale: A Feminist Reclamation” must have been exciting — how has that recognition influenced what you want to do next?
It absolutely has- I think it’s emboldened me to pursue some of my more rebellious ideas, especially when it comes to fashion editorials that critique aspects of our world.
