China - love cutting 

"China - Love Cutting" is a series of images of Chinese hairdressers and the place where they live, a dialogue between public image and the private sphere. The project was photographed in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, far from Beijing and Shanghai. This town, with a rapidly expanding economy in western China, has around 14 million inhabitants, most of whom originally come from the countryside.

Each portrait shows a young hairdresser who moved to Chengdu in search of new employment opportunities. Jobs that offer accommodation are particularly prized by the new arrivals. If an employer offers a room or a bed in their own home, it is often shared with other members of the staff. These young workers can spend many years living like this before being able to afford their own homes.

According the latest demographic census in China, the percentage of urban population just passed over 51% in January 2012. 

Exhibitions of this series:

Solo exhibition Encotros da Imagem, Braga, Portugal 2014.

Solo exhibition Month of Photography, Sofia, Bulgaria 2013.

Solo exhibition Fribourg, Switzerland 2013. 

Stephanie Borcard and Nicolas Metraux are two Swiss photographers based in Bangkok. They work on personal projects, influenced by their travels and by different forms of expression such as literature, paintings and movies.

Through a subtle approach to the story, they are interested in exploring the margins of social issues. Their recent series focus on the relation between individuals and society, helping them not only to have a better understanding of the world we are living in, but also to question who they are.

Curiosity and passion for others led them to different countries around Asia and most recently to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A book published by BENTELI Publishers, Switzerland, will finalize their long-term project in the Balkans and will be released in 2015.