MOXIE ASIA 03

MOXIE

interview AN TÔN THẤT / ARTHUR TAM story EDWARD GUNAWAN model feature JYB photographer NORM YIP / TRISTAN PETERS models KAJI / ALAN

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http://tighttams.nyc

Photo by Norm Yip, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

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Photo by Norm Yip, Central, Hong Kong

/’mäksē/ AD VEN TU R ESOME

G UST O

ATTITU D E

G UT S

AU D A C ITY

HARDI HO O D

B A C K BON E

I NDE P E NDE NCE

B O L D N ES S

M E T T LE

B RAV EN ES S

NE RVE

B RAV ERY

OOMPH

CH A RA C TER

P E RSE VE RANCE

CON F ID EN C E

P LUCK

COU RA GE

P RO WNE SS

DA RIN G

SASS

DA S H

SKI LL

DA U N TL ES S NESS

SP I RI T

DETER MIN ATION

SP UNK

E N ERGY

STAM I NA

FEA RL ES S N E SS

T E NACI T Y

FO RTITU D E

T O UG HNE SS

G AMEN ES S

VI G O R

G RIT

Z I NG

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O3 Copyright Š 2019 Studio 8 Hong Kong Publishing Ltd. MOXIE is published on ad-hoc basis.

Reproduction in whole or any part, by any means, is strictly prohibited without express permission in writing from the publisher and copyright holder.

All photographs are copyright by the respective photographers.

All rights reserved.

Studio 8 Hong Kong Publishing Ltd. Unit F, 17/F Mai Luen Industrial Building 23-31 Kung Yip Street Kwai Chung, N.T., Hong Kong T +852 2540 6267

MOXIE ASIA http://moxie.asia

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Photo NORM YIP; Model ALAN

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CONTENTS

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Publisher’s Note

10 - 11

Kaji (Part 1)

12 - 25

Onlyhk

26 - 27

Stranger in a Suit

28 - 39

Tight Tams

40 - 51

Alan

52 - 61

Onlyhk 1

62 - 63

An Tôn Thất

64 - 89

Onlyhk 2

90 - 91

Pau-la

92 - 107

Flesh & Flowers

108 - 117

Imagemaker & Creator

118 - 127

Onlyhk 3

128 - 129

JYB

130 - 147

by Norm Yip

Short Story by Edward Gunawan Interview with Arthur Tam

by Norm Yip

Exclusive Interview

by Norm Yip

by Norm Yip

by Tristan Peter

by Norm Yip

Onlyhk 4

148 - 139

Kaji (Part 2)

150 - 163

by Norm Yip

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Photo by Norm Yip, Mongkok

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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Two years have passed since Moxie 02 was released to the public, after making the difficult decision to discontinue my publication due to a rather nasty dog bite to my left arm.

I felt it was a sign to pull back on the reins and to focus my energy on my artwork. I concluded that Moxie was taking its toll on me and I had to reallocate my time and resources to painting and art.

One of the main reasons for me putting together Moxie was because there was no outlet for me to showcase my creative work that combined art, photography, graphics and writing into a cohesive publication. Much of my work has been slotted into a category, as people’s memory cannot sustain more than a two-word phrase: gay photographer.

Moving forward the present day, Moxie kept returning to my mind.

I had nearly completed putting together Moxie 03 before I decided to shelve the project. I felt compelled to finish the work I started. So close, but yet so far.

I want to thank the contributors to Moxie 03, namely Edward Gunawan for his short story Stranger in a Suit, and Tristan Peters for his dreamy double exposure photography.

In addition, a special thank you to the extremely talented An Tôn Thất for the insightful interview (conducted in 2017!), and to Arthur Tam, a young designer with his swimwear brand Tight Tams.

I looked at my Indesign files and slowly began to fill in the blank spaces with words. Most of the images were already in place, and I only needed to augment the pages with my graphics. These things come rather natural to me.

To Kaji, Alan and Paul, thank you for being willing models for me. Without you guys, there would be no Moxie!

As I pulled together the projects, I said to myself not to allow myself to lose sight of my vision, and to follow my gut instincts in direction and decision-making. I did not have to follow other people’s rules of business and to reject ideas that didn’t contribute to the overall spirit of Moxie.

Finally, to you the reader, thank you for supporting my work. I hope you enjoy Moxie 03.

Norm Yip September 2019

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PART 1 Photo NORM YIP @normyip Model KAJI @kajikay

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DJ KAJI GRACIOUSLY agreed to a photography session by me in 2017. Quiet and soft-spoken, he adorns a superbly built body, yet not overtly defined. This is Part 1 of the shoot. I shot using my usual black backdrop with strong contrast front lighting and a rim light towards the back, accenting his physique. The second half of Part 1 reveals Kajis his entire body to the camera, having warmed up to the camera and my shooting style.

In Part 2 of Kaji, I opted for a high key shot with a white backdrop but used white balance to attain the blue-tone effect which lends itself beautifully to Kaji’s understated body.

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ONLYHK SCATTERED throughout MOXIE 03 are photographs that are taken in the city of hong kong, a vibrant place that exudes life and vitality. I have been privileged to have the opportunity to live here, and grateful for all that it has given me. I owe much to the people, as much as the place itself for inspiration and acceptance of who I am. This year marks my 25th anniversary since I moved here, making the jump into the unknown city where I have made my home. I never thought I would stay here so long, and it still gives me extreme delight whenever I traverse the city on foot, bus or taxi.

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STRANGER

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R IN A SUIT STORY BY EDWARD GUNAWAN

Photo Credit This page: Norm Yip Other pages: Leandro H

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STRANGER IN A SUIT

by Edward Gunawan

It’s raining, Daniel reasoned. Yet, he couldn’t tone down the annoyance in his voice as he yelled into the phone.

“Mr. Ho, I’d have to cancel if you don’t show up soon.”

“On the way already,” the mover replied, “Maybe my son just got lost.”

“I’ve waited for two hours. I got to go to work.”

“I know, I know... we also work wor. Just leave your key with building manager,” Mr Ho suggested. When he noticed the uneasy pause, he continued, “It’s OK, we do it all the time.”

“Fine,” Daniel reluctantly replied, as the phone clicked off.

Never mind that he had taken the morning off-work, this wasn’t about that. He had moved to Hong Kong expecting a quickened pace of life that had eluded him for the past three years. This kind of delay might be expected in Bangkok.

Everyone and everything was sabay-sabay. But isn’t this the city where the MTR still ran on time while a typhoon raged on above-ground?

He paced about his living room as he looked out of the windows. The rain continued to fall and the city was a blurry grey. A stranger in his apartment was not ideal, but he had

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no valuables here – just tubs of protein shakes. Thousands of dollars worth. But surely, no one would steal them. He quickly changed out of the suit he was wearing into his workout gear, and slipped out of the apartment. Might as well get some cardio in... § After a few knocks, Kai entered the apartment. His father had called to tell him to let himself in. Still, he asked aloud, “Mr Chen?”

Hearing no response, he took a few steps and surveyed the one-bedroom apartment. It was spacious, especially considering the prime Central location – definitely bigger than the “coffin” flat he shared with his grandmother, parents and sister in New Territories. Opened cardboard boxes lined the walls, as scattered small hills of books and clothes covered every square inch of the parquet flooring. Unsure where to unload the teak wood wardrobe and dresser, he squatted down to clear some space, gathering the personal items and organizing them into a pile. He picked up a large white tub, shaking it. He opened it, sniffing the powder inside. He grimaced. Is this something people eat?

He made his way back to the trolley, his foot grazing the sharp corner of a framed photograph buried underneath a pile of shirts. He bent down to study it. A middle aged Chinese couple flanked the sides of a twenty-something man in a graduation cap and gown.

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Every day, as Kai went about carrying and moving furnitures around town, he had come across many young men like the one in the photo – white-collar professionals who were almost always looking down at their phones, rushing past him on their way to their lunches and high-rise offices – men who looked like him but spoke in a foreign tongue to their gwei-lo friends.

These ABC expats, he thought, they all look so put together on the outside but they are the messiest. In his household, Kai grew up hanging and shelving everything up on the wall. Horizontal space organization was a luxury he didn’t have. He allowed himself to imagine what he might do with a space like this to himself. Maybe a queen-size mattress would be nice. That would be more comfortable than the top bunk bed he had been sleeping on since he was a child.

Snapping out of his daydream, Kai returned the photo where he found it and hoisted the furniture down in the middle of the room. He managed to not scratch the wooden floor, though a pool of sweat had collected next to the dresser. He ambled towards the bathroom, unrolled the tissue paper and tore off a few square pieces to wipe the sweat off his forehead and neck.

As he was about to go back into the living room, he caught the reflection of Mr Chen’s office wear in the mirror.

He turned around to face the suit hanging behind the bathroom door. He palmed the cotton material of the black suit. Soft and cool. He had sometimes wondered what it might feel like, how he might look like in them. Maybe Dad is right, he thought, I could have studied harder in school. In a flash, he had stripped off his jeans. Sliding the black long pants over his briefs and white long-sleeved shirt over his singlet, he realized he had started to sweat profusely once again. His naked skin pressed against the fabric, sweat licking the collar.

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Kai was lankier and taller than Mr Chen, but the ensemble seemed to fit just fine. He admired himself in the mirror. Not bad, not bad at all. Now that I’m in a suit like this, will they f inally see me? § Daniel entered his apartment, relieved to find the wardrobe and dresser had arrived. He would have to move them into the bedroom on his own. But that would have to wait. He dashed into the bathroom and showered under the running hot water.

He got into his dress shirt and straightened his tie. He styled his hair with pomade and noticed the faint whiff of a certain smell from his shirt as it clung onto him. He shrugged it off as he made a mental note to change his dry cleaner. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, satisfied with the results of his new workout. He draped the suit over his arms and strode out of the apartment. § Kai lit his cigarette in an alley next to the apartment building below.

He looked up above, imagining what it would have been like if Mr Chen had walked in on him trying on his suit – standing in the doorway, mouth opened wide agape, brows furrowing. It

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was in this moment that Kai recognized the man in the photo himself, in the flesh, hastening past him. He wondered whether Mr Chen had smelled him in his clothes. Felt him. His lips curled into a smirk, thinking of Mr Chen carrying his sweat on his back. That would be the only time Kai – or a small part of him – would be inside those air-conditioned meeting rooms and office suites, atop those glittering skyscrapers that Mr Chen would undoubtedly go to later that day.

Kai flicked his cigarette into the gutter and climbed aboard his truck. The rain had stopped and it was time for his next delivery.

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Edward Gunawan is an Indonesian writer and filmmaker. Visit addword.com to explore his other projects.

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Tight Tams Swimwear Inspired By Chinese Peony Print Worn By Aunties

Interview with Arthur Tam, the designer and entreprenuer behind his swimwear brand Tight Tams.

MOXIE> Tell me something of your past, a quick bio of yourself in a short paragraph to introduce yourself.

ARTHUR> I was born and raised in Los Angeles. In 2011 I decided to move to Hong Kong to join a singing competition (I was a competitive singer back in LA) where I made it passed the initial rounds, but ultimately didn’t make on TV. I expected as much, but I still really wanted to stay in Hong Kong and see if I could make something of myself. I found LA to be quite dull and always liked the vibe of HK. 40

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I found my chance when I was hired by Time Out Hong Kong to be a writer, editor and journalist. For the next seven years, I would have a career in journalism at the intersection of LGBTIQ+ politics, fashion and pop culture. For Time Out Hong Kong I became an editor focusing on music, fashion, film and LGBTIQ+ issues while also hosting Hong Kong’s very first gay, English language public radio show From Top to Bottom.

I’ve written everything from the ‘History of Hong Kong Fashion’ and the ‘Death of Cantonese’ to the growing meth crisis in the city. My proudest moment though was launching TOHK’s first LGBTIQ+ issue and writing the related features stories.

Then I went over to Cedar Hong Kong - a British content marketing agency - to act as an editor and worked closely with clients (Studio City Macau and Swire Properties) to develop content for fashionstatement. asia and Taikoo Place’s online publication The Mag. During this time I was also published in 42

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Dazed and Confused, Another Magazine, Forbes, New Next Now, CNN Style, Asia Art Review, Still/Loud and Hong Kong Free Press.

I still really enjoy singing. In 2017 I formed a band called AV Kids with my partner Vincy Chan and I was also part of a stage musical called Cube Culture.

MOXIE> I know you as a writer and eager stylist. How did the idea of creating swimwear enter your mind?

ARTHUR> If you follow me on Instagram, you would know I love tanning and wearing swim briefs, thongs and sometimes going nude. Beach culture became part of my life once I became confident with my body and sexuality. Eventually, I got bored with the swimwear on the market. I didn’t feel like it represented me, my background or body type.

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lifestyle is a very euro-centric space. Tanning is associated with leisure, luxury and fun in the West. But in other parts being outdoors was often associated with labour, poverty, servitude and enslavement.

But nowadays we see a shift in demographics when it comes to beach culture. POCs are finally having their moment in the sun and finding their space.

That was the starting concept for my brand, taking inspiration from a different part of the world and creating a different kind of swimwear narrative that’s inclusive, playful and joyful.

To continue the Chinese design narrative, I’ve attached jade aglets – which I purchased from the Jade Market in Hong Kong – to ends of drawstring. It’s an elevated detail and each swim brief comes with their own unique jade aglets.

MOXIE> Was the process of sourcing manufacturers or suppliers a tedious one?

ARTHUR> Definitely a process.

I’m making original prints with a lot of different, saturated colours so it’s pretty difficult.

A lot of swimwear companies use materials and patterns that have already been produced and then turn it into swimwear.

If you also notice, on two of my styles, the butt area is symmetrical. So it takes more time and effort to match up both sides. Also, the jade aglets take time to attach. I sourced all the jade from the Jade Market in Yau Ma Tei.

For my initial collection, I took inspiration from a tradition Chinese peony print often worn by aunties. As a gay boy, I’ve always been closer to my mom and my aunties. I spent a lot of time with them and was inspired by their sense of fashion. So, this style is a homage to the matriarchs that rule and empower gay boys like me to head into the world, baring it all. Red is the signature colour for this print.

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MOXIE> The prints are exceptionally colourful. What are the theme or inspiration for these?

ARTHUR> The inspiration is from a print called Northeast Flower Fabric or 東北花布. It was originally from Russia, but then the Chinese adapted into household fabric used for table cloths, drapes, clothes, bedcovers as well design on bags, which are burnt for ancestral offerings. So it’s a very mixed-use old fashion pattern, which I thought could be used in a modern way.

MOXIE> Is there a particular body type and or group that you are aiming for with Tight Tams?

ARTHUR> Tight Tams will look great on anyone. For my initial campaign though, I only used POC models because I thought 99% of swimwear models are already white -- there wasn’t any need for a white model at this moment. The fit is great for smaller guys cause I created the fit based on my own butt for the XS. The first collection has a very sexy, low cut revealing fit. It’s great for those of us who want a beautiful 49

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tan line and give great support on the butt. I hate it when guys wear swimwear that’s too loose and water gets trapped in it and makes it sag like a wet diaper.

MOXIE> Do you intend to have a few seasons per year?

ARTHUR> For now just one collection per year. Hopefully, that will change once the brand gets more buzz. Yea, I will be churning out new design very very soon.

MOXIE> Where and how did you find the models for your first campaign? Was it Instagram?

ARTHUR> I found all my models on Instagram. I followed them before when I was in Hong Kong. So, when I was visiting family in LA, I thought, why not reach out to them and see if they would be down for a shoot. Also, to be clear, I paid everyone on the shoot. I didn’t pull some free bullshit in exchange for exposure.

Tight Tam can be reached through the following channels.

IG: @tight_tams https://facebook.com/tighttams/ http://tighttams.nyc Chop Suey Club 81 Hester St, New York, USA

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I posted several images of Alan onto my Instagram account only to have it removed within hours for breaking their community standards. I knew the images are of the male nude but I felt these were a far reach from pornography.

Regardless, I had to accept the condition of the platform. This sad occurrence continues to this day.

As such, I am pleased to showcase these photographs in MOXIE within the domain of what I believe is fine art photography of the male nude. I hope you enjoy these offerings from both myself and the model.

Photo NORM YIP @normyip Model ALAN

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Photography NORM YIP

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ONLYHK 1 - CHAI WAN Walking along the industrial neighborhood of Hong Kong, I found some old cement trollies lying idly by the street. Spattered with paint and decay, the colours formed a beautiful composition of form and texture against a backdrop of decaying grass and brown earth.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH VIETNAMESE COMPOSER, DIRECTOR AND MUSICIAN AN T O N T H AT [ A A K E N ] C O N D U C T E D I N 2 0 1 7 . I T HAS NOT BEEN RE-EDITED TO REFLECT HIS W O R D S AT T H E T I M E I T W A S C O N D U C T E D .

I W A N T E D T H E PA S T F E E L I N G S A N D

Photo by Norm Yip

T H O U G H T S T O R E M A I N I N TA C T.

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Concert Cafe de la Danse, Paris, October 2006 Photo by Amaury Grisel

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MOXIE AN TÔN THẤT INTERVIEW BY NORM YIP

MOXIE How would you describe yourself to an unknown audience? Where would you begin?

MOXIE So, stage and film... How did that come about? Did someone seek you out first?

Or did you approach them?

AN Well, I would say, it is like going to an unknown country... Not what one might expect or imagine. And I prefer not to set any frame. Better go there and be surprised. So I’d say that it is a very personal journey.

AN I started writing for theatre. I was approached by people who had seen me on stage with my band. Then one thing led to another....

MOXIE I didn’t know you were part of a band.

MOXIE When you say “what one might expect”.. Explain that part more.

AN Yes, I was in a band. You can only see snippets of it online - and as you know, it cannot replace the real experience. By the way, NINA, my first important work with Jo Kanamori, a Japanese choreographer, will be performed in Hong Kong this Autumn.

AN When it comes to something we don’t know, we usually need references. When seventeen years ago I went to record companies to present my first album, they would always need to find references. “Oh, your music is something between this and that”.

MOXIE That is very good news to hear!

MOXIE Ah, I understand where you are coming from. They needed a category to slot you under.

AN We are on an Asian tour with that piece.

AN Exactly. But as there was no Asian artist in the western pop music market, they were at loss. Now, I enjoy that. To break people’s expectations.

AN Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan. That piece was created 12 years ago.

And has been everywhere around the world.

MOXIE I would love to see that.

MOXIE The music to that dance piece is very aggressive... So the music came first and then Joe adopted it to a dance?

MOXIE How long ago are you talking about here? I am sure the market has changed and shifted. I’m just guessing.

AN No... It was quite a magical process.

I saw Jo’s work in Paris and literally fell in love with it. I wrote to him. Then one year later, I was in Tokyo and asked to meet him.

His company wasn’t based in Tokyo but in Niigata. So I went there and introduced myself and my music. He was very surprised, as that had never happened to him before. Three months later, he asked permission to use one piece from the CD I had given him. He was developing ideas for choreography and realised that my music would be perfect for a big-scale dance piece he was to do later that year. Of course I accepted. I was overjoyed.

AN It’s still the same now. Can you name any Asian artist that has been launched in Europe or the U.S.?

MOXIE I think Rain tried to break in years ago, but failed in doing so.

AN Rain is from South Korea... He would never have been able to even have a career, if he were living in the U.S. Anyway, since then, I have developed as a composer for the stage and film, so I don’t really care anymore. I just write songs for my own enjoyment.

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MOXIE And the Mountain Said, Rehearsal with Allen Yeh National Recital Hall, Taipei - October 2014

MOXIE I think it is quite an honour when artists want to collaborate. This sounds very exciting for you. But I do believe that sometimes, the elements need to be in place before it happens. Ideas need gestation.

MOXIE You wrote 10 numbers? Are you insane?

AN It was! After I had seen his work in Paris, I said to myself: “If there is one person I would want to collaborate with, Jo Kanamori is the person”. And the universe heard me.

MOXIE So what I saw online was 1 of the movements?

AN The whole ballet is composed of 10 movements

AN So that’s how it went. I would only get an approximation of the time for each of them, and a few ideas. And I was free to unleash what I had in me.

Jo doesn’t like to post his work online, so you only saw a trailer, or a digest.

MOXIE Then it was certainly magical as you say... I am glad that you can share this with me.

AN So, Jo gave me a few clues about his ideas and I wrote the music on my side. I would send it to him and it would always be exactly what he needed. It went like that with the 10 numbers of the ballet. Everybody was flabbergasted.

MOXIE Yes, I see... a snippet, a taste.

AN Yes.

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MOXIE The Legend of Thanh Giong with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra Berlin Philharmonie Hall - February 2013

certain instrument, a certain rhythm, pattern or sound, I do it, and do not think of it, as long as I feel aligned with myself. Pain and suffering are inevitable in life. But it doesn’t need to be directly connected to the creative process itself. I don’t suffer when I write music. Quite on the contrary, it is... like being in a trance.

MOXIE I want to ask about the creative process... as that is something that all artists do inherently.

AN The big question... haha!!!

MOXIE You mentioned ‘free to unleash what I had in me’. Can you elaborate on that?

MOXIE So this trance-like state is when you are connected to Spirit (if I may use this word).

AN What is it that you want me to shed light on? You’re an artist yourself, so you must have more than just an idea.

AN Yes. Then I wake up and realise I have written something. But as I work with musicians, I have to keep myself connected to that spirit as we record, talk, rehearse etc... Some people need religion, but to me creativity is the direct link to those gods, wherever they are.

MOXIE Let me ask in a different way: do you believe we need to go through pain and suffering in order to do the work that we do?

AN I just follow my intuition. It feels like being in a trance. If I feel like having a

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“Some people need religion, but to me creativity is the direct line to those gods, wherever they are.�

NINA - materialise sacrifice, Choreorgraphy Jo Kanamori Photo by Kissin Shinoyama, 2005

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MOXIE This is something that I have never done with others... so I have no such experience. I feel very alone (not necessarily lonely) in the process.

AN Yes. I understand. But my way of writing music is not planned nor organised. It combines writing scores (for the musicians), improvising, random recording, and editing on my computer. Just like when you cook...

Vegetables have to be grown, animals to be raised, then each element picked, selected, combined, then... cooked. To which you may add herbs or make a sauce!

MOXIE It sounds very (VERY!) complicated to me.

AN Haha. To sum it up, it is a very organic process. I cannot command it.

MOXIE I think it is partly because I cannot read music, even when I studied it. I want to ask some questions regarding your music videos. I assume it is vastly different from your stage work.

AN Yes. But if the result has a different shape, the process is the same.

MOXIE In your most recent video ‘Shiny Heart, Dirty Mind’, when was the music written?

AN Last year. I wrote the song in late winter, and started preparing for the video the following summer.

MOXIE Are the lyrics by you or Bibbe Hansen?

AN They are by Bibbe Hansen. She writes beautiful words. Images which are seemingly disconnected to each other, but follow a stream of consciousness.

MOXIE I am curious as to how this particular collaboration began. Did you contact her about doing this together? The lady with the blonde hair and glasses… Is that Bibbe herself?

AN We met online 17 years ago! Yes, that’s her.

MOXIE So around the year 2000.

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L’Appel du Vide, MV, 2017

AN Oh sorry, it was 15 years ago.

AN That was her title. It is about the opposites in us.

MOXIE Okay, no worries. The video was very confusing to me I admit. Very fragmented.

MOXIE The contrasts we all have in us.

AN Beyond the confusion, what did you get?

AN And the obsession that seizes us when we ignore the other side. And how the contrasts can become dangerous when we do not embrace them together.

MOXIE There is a dark side to the music, but the title kind of tells it all... Shiny Heart, Dirty Mind.

MOXIE What I find about your videos is that you dare to explore that other side in us... The darker/shaded side. I was watching your version of ‘Love Profusion’.... and how

AN Indeed.

MOXIE That is enough perhaps.

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“Youthfulness of mind is about enjoying what you do and fully be in the present moment. I just show them that it is possible, but that requires lots of work and perseverance, and also to remain open about the others.”

MOXIE Your interpretation seemed more fitting for the lyrics. Madonna’s own version I then didn’t feel it so much, but that could be just me. This is what I love about music, the interpretation can make so much different in the outcome, meanwhile in a painting, the tone is set.

it contrast Madonna’s version entirely. How did that come about and perhaps a bit on the influence of Madonna on you.

AN I had always found that she was underrated as a songwriter. I think she writes beautiful melodies. I’ve always liked to make covers of other artists’ songs. Find a hidden element or an alternative meaning. At that time, I was singing in a fancy lounge bar with two string players. I would usually make a selection of songs, old and new and classical music pieces. That’s when I started working on ‘Love Profusion’.

AN There’s a more rock version of that song that she released and which gives a stronger sense of yearning and social pressure.

MOXIE I don’t think I have heard that version.

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Shiny Heart Dirty Mind, MV, 2017

AN Yes, I love to hear how some artists cover their peers’ songs. Did you hear what Chris Cornell did with Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’?

AN Of course.

MOXIE No, I don’t believe I have.

AN For instance, see what people state on Facebook about any given issue, and what is actually done in their real life. It’s like going to the confessional. You say what weighs on your conscience, then you feel relieved and you go on as before. There are people who do things, but I think the percentage is the same than anywhere else. I may be too pessimistic....

MOXIE Ideas versus behavior -- what you say versus what you do.

AN I don’t know if there is a MV for Chris Cornell’s version. Anyway, that was just to find an example of what I find is a good cover.

MOXIE Since you are very much into Facebook, I want to ask you a question regarding social network and the internet: Do you think that the internet, including Facebook and other social networks have diluted people into pawns of its own system that is supposed to democratize us? In others words, has it created more borders and differences in people’s attitudes that uniting them into a common, more equitable society?

MOXIE For awhile, I felt that Facebook was about showing your ‘good side’ to the public... that you are politically correct, you are dining in the right place and going on holidays in the right place, the good life there was no darkness (in people’s hearts). No one wanted to show it, that is, until recently, and hence the news of darkness came forth to rebalance everything. I wrote about pessimism in MOXIE 02. I think it is a reality that few want to face or contend with

AN You could ask the same question regarding the constitution of a country and what really happens. The big difference between ideas, ideals and the actual behavior of the people.

AN That darkness is expressed by ‘shared” anger. People post article by others to express their own anger or frustration.

MOXIE So do you think there is a gap between what people say and what people do?

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Bibbe Hansen, Shiny Heart Dirty Mind, MV, 2017

MOXIE Yes I can see that... as a way to vent their own feelings and emotions Well I think I have plenty of material for the interview. Thanks for your time in this....

AN We are moulded by the time and society we live in. So to me what matters the most is to be genuine and honest.

MOXIE The tools for you are quite varied.

I know you as a composer, singer and musician... but I know you delve into photography as another tool, which I think is a way of expression. There is definitely an honesty in the photographs you take.

AN Really? Ok. MOXIE I could go on....

AN If there is anything else....

MOXIE I have one on creativity.

AN You know, I never thought of myself as a good pianist, singer or... photographer, I am self taught when it comes to music composition. So I don’t have the same frame of mind as someone who graduated from a prestigious school like Juilliard, or who got a prize from a competition. So what I learned, I learned it through experience. I don’t say technique isn’t important, it is. But it is a tool.

AN Well, I love our discussions anyway!

MOXIE Okay here it goes.... In the realm of creativity output, both you and the outside, do you think there is anything truly original, truly authentic any more? Or was there anything original to begin with?

AN To me it’s less about originality than finding the tools of expression to communicate with a given audience.

MOXIE I think the conventions are good but not the only way into an art form. There are actually famous architects who never studied architecture.

MOXIE I ask this because one person commented that everything they see in the art world is a ‘derivative’, meaning it’s borrowed from what was already done and rehashed.

AN Yes. Curiosity and open mindedness are the keys.

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MOXIE I want to ask you about the photographs of the guys. You have a good eye. Have you ever approached any of them afterwards?

AN When I take a picture, I am making a film of my own.

MOXIE A film, meaning you have a project in mind, like a series of images to be shown

AN No. I’m a thief.

AN I don’t run, as I don’t exist in their consciousness. But they do in mine. My life is a film.

MOXIE Ooooo. I like that word thief. Take and run.

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MOXIE AN I believe so.

MOXIE It is something I think of, in that we’re all in this together, but we ‘feel’ as if we are separate from one another, yet consciousness is so elusive. It’s hard to place even, although we feel it’s in the centre of our brain.

AN That’s what I was posting on FB a couple of days ago. Taking responsibility, for any thought and action matter.

MOXIE But your idea that the photographs exist in your consciousness and not in their is intriguing. My thoughts are that the photographs you take give consciousness form, a place to exist in the physical universe so we can touch and see it, and that is why it is important for us to share.

AN I like the idea that there’s something a person isn’t aware or conscious of, that it can touch somebody (the photographer) and become a tangible link to another story.

MOXIE ...because so much of the working world is too busy, and that is something quite magical already.

AN Yes. So when I take a picture, I acknowledge the person’s existence. And bring him/her to another dimension. They will certainly never be aware of it, but their consciousness is.

MOXIE That dimension can be very different from their own. If they were to see it. If they ever will.

AN Even when I take a picture of my friends, they are surprised. What you said earlier about Facebook, they usually want to show a happy cute image of themselves. For instance the people I use in my music videos are always surprised. The girl in ‘Shiny Heart’ is a cellist and she has a very light and fun personality. She was very mystified by how she appeared in the MV.

MOXIE I call it temporal illusions.

MOXIE I think that is the case for true photographers... the photographs are more about the photographer than the subjects themselves. The ones that are photographing for their client’s wants are well not artists really.

AN What I live, see, imagine. Everything’s connected. A film that takes place in many dimensions.

MOXIE So would you say that everyone’s own consciousness is part of one big consciousness?

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MOXIE AN The photographer has his eyes open on a person who may have his / her eyes ‘closed’. We aren’t talking about that kind of photography, are we? But a true artist will always rise above and find something extra.

MOXIE That is how I have approached my Asian male nudes. It was all about me.

AN Yes. MOXIE And I just needed the people to fulfill my ideas, but initially it was more of an experiment which turned out to be a project of its own. It took me awhile to find what it was about.

AN There’s no recipe. It’s important to follow the path of uncertainty before finding something otherwise it would be like supermarket art.

MOXIE I think uncertainty is underrated. That is what is challenging and exciting but it is usually seen as something to fear.

AN I know. I can understand that in this mad world we live in, people may seek comfort and security. An old story...

MOXIE What projects are coming up for you?

AN I’ve been working with Huang Yi, who was one of the young choreographers for the contemporary dance section of CloudGate.

But I didn’t work directly with them. Current projects include ‘The Third Wife’, a long feature film from Vietnam by first time director Ash Mayfair. Also the third edition of [FEEL] in/out, an art festival I founded in Saigon two years ago. A lot to be said for each of those projects.

Also a multimedia photobook / music / film project...

MOXIE I noticed the words Feel in/out in your profile. Maybe elaborate on that project a little.

I like the title.

AN The idea is simple: gather local artists from various fields and get them to collaborate together. So we get an old building, like a theatre or an old school and use all the available space. And create a three-hour long immersive experience for the audience. They can go anywhere and there’s something to be seen, watched, heard or felt.

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Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Choreography by Jo Kanamori, 2010 Photo by Kissin Shinoyama

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MOXIE MOXIE Old abandoned buildings tend to have so much character... that seems very interesting for the audience, as they meander through the various spaces.

AN Yes. It is also a way for people to rediscover their own city. So I connected dancers from various companies, painters, photographers, film makers, musicians to each other.

MOXIE May I ask how it is funded? Is it through government grants?

AN Not in the least! It is a very Beat Generation spirit. The first year, one of the dance companies which hosted the event put their equipment at our disposal and even rented some for us. But mostly we did everything gratis. The second year, the school, an old French school was offered to us by the French institute.

MOXIE In Hong Kong it would be trying to find a venue that would allow for such an event to occur.

AN But we did everything ourselves. It is very underground and I like it.

MOXIE That makes an enormous difference.

AN At first the artists weren’t so convinced.

But when they understood and saw what I had in mind, they loved it. I curated the whole thing.

MOXIE I do recall seeing some photographs hung with paper clips on a wire.

AN The second year was done in partnership with a French Vietnamese choreographer.

It was interesting to see the difference of approaches.

MOXIE When will this particular event occur?

Special Order, Dir. Huang Yi, National Theatre, Taipei, 2014

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MOXIE AN He came from a government-funded structure. When I and the artists function more like a collective. Both events took place around the end of the year. The third one will be next year. Not sure when exactly.

MOXIE Will the French Vietnamese guy be involved again for the next one?

AN No. The mindsets are too different.

MOXIE Ah. I see.

AN He is institutionalized when I’m not.

MOXIE His thinking was too controlled.

Institutionalized thinking.

AN Yes. You know the French May in Hong Kong?

MOXIE Yes, I know of it and have gone to some functions.

AN It is a clique.

MOXIE Yes I do believe so.

AN … of French expats, French Vietnamese people.

MOXIE The French, though, have their way of doing things here AN They aren’t really connected with the locals. And I have some problems being in partnership with that.

MOXIE But what I have noticed though, is that many of the French do appreciate my work (especially the nudes that I do). So your up-coming festival, it will return back to you and your curation.

AN Yes. They are very good with cultural things. What I wish to do, though, is to show young artists that it is possible to do things in art, and that we have to work together for it. It is also mirroring my own story as I did everything by myself. Maybe I try to give them the support I did not receive.

MOXIE What I like about what you are doing is that you demonstrate by doing, creating and showing, rather than the talk that most people just, well... talk about and it is by the actual creation and the doing that inspires others to emulate.

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Love Profusion, MV, 2016

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AN Yes. It’s nice to have beautiful ideas... But to stand up and act upon them is gratifying and empowering.

MOXIE And that is powerful.

AN Now, I’m really doing all the things I was dreaming about when I was a young boy.

MOXIE So you do want to encourage other budding artists to pursue their dreams or at least make an attempt?

AN Youthfulness of mind is about enjoying what you do and fully be in the present moment. I just show them that it is possible, but that requires lots of work and perseverance, and also to remain open about the others.

MOXIE So what about criticism? (this is a bit off-topic, but I’m curious). Where does criticism come into play within the artistic endeavors that you or others do? Is there a place for it?

AN From whom?

MOXIE That is a good question!

AN You learn from it of course.

MOXIE From whom?

AN From making mistakes.

MOXIE There doesn’t seem to be real criticism any more other than being entertained.

AN You have to learn to recognise good critics, as you do with good friends.

MOXIE Peer groups is probably the only way to gain critical words to help the artist grow and evolve. Would you agree or not? I mean, aside from self-criticism, which I have plenty of. I think back to Canada, and I definitely felt that there was good criticism of what artists would do, but I feel (at least in HK), that it is lost or non-existent. See it, accept it, and leave.

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MOXIE AN You have critics, as you are in the public eye. I don’t. I work for other people’s projects.

AN But even though I’m in my universe, I keep the doors open. There’s nothing better than creating with others. Sardine with olive oil. French style.

MOXIE Which is different, true.

AN So I rarely got criticised. But if you stand in the spotlight, people will start evaluating you and your worth. Because money can be made out of you.

MOXIE Ahh... I do like it in olive oil with a sprinkle of fresh black pepper.

MOXIE I think for me, I wish there was more criticism (not that I would take it deep into me, but I guess it depends on what they say).

MOXIE Thanks again for answering some questions.

AN Yes!!! I’m hungry now.

AN You’re welcome.

AN Because you may be a rival to someone else.

MOXIE I quite enjoy the responses from you.

MOXIE I have my peers, which are plentiful.

AN Thanks

AN Of course I got some criticism. But it was more because of the fact that I would do something than what I have done.

MOXIE So now I have this vision of several of your friends in a room all tranced out.... swirling and swirling....

MOXIE Just by the act of doing it was a statement.

AN For your information, Bibbe Hansen is the daughter of Al Hansen, a great American artist and thinker. She starred in a few Andy Warhol films when she was just 13. Al Hansen is one of the main figures of the Fluxus movement.

AN But I’ve always been such an oddity that it was difficult for them to say much about my work. I never really belonged to any group.

Maybe that saved me in a way.

MOXIE So she was like a famous father’s daughter.

MOXIE I don’t quite get your jokes sometimes.... I think you’re being serious when you’re being sarcastic. Saved you from being one of the canned sardines? That is kind of crass... I should take it back but you know what I mean, a packaged person. So do you feel like you are on the fringe? The edge?

AN He was a close to Warhol. And Bibbe is the mother of the singer Beck.

MOXIE Beck... who?

AN Ok.

AN Not exactly ‘on the edge’. More like in my own universe, as I used to when I was a little child.

MOXIE Okay I found it on Google. Beck Hansen. I am not really familiar with his work.

AN Beck Hansen, known mononymously as Beck, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is mostly known for his musical composition, as well as a palette of sonic genres. (Google).

He’s one of my favorite artists, but I know gay people don’t dig his music, unless they are into the indie alternative scene.

MOXIE I know I feel like I’m on the edge. I think I enjoy it.

AN Being on the edge? Or the sardines?

MOXIE That you are in your own universe....

You are hardly the case for the sardines.

AN I like sardines.

MOXIE Beck was more of a folk artist in my recollection

MOXIE ...in tomato sauce?

AN So when I met Bibbe online I had no idea who she was. We met on a music platform.

Soulseek. And we befriended each other.

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An, Photo by Marguerite Mouelle-Koula, Paris, 2016

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MOXIE How does she react or feel to what you write? Or it the music composed together?

If that is possible.

AN That was in 2003 or 2004. It was a Sunday morning, I remember.

MOXIE You still remember the day?

AN No, I wrote all the music by myself.

Anyway, she really likes the result, ‘Shiny Heart’ particularly. So when I shot the MV I naturally wanted to include her physically. And the grainy b&w image is an homage to film noir and also to the NYC of the 60s. I thought of that MV after I saw an exhibition about the Beat Generation. Hence the fragmented narrative.

AN Sometime in January of 2003. A Sunday.

And we started talking on a forum. We quickly switched to private message.

MOXIE Hahaha... good move! It brings you closer.

AN She was to write an article and was stuck. So I talked with her and provided some new approaches. Since then we really enjoyed our talks. When I came to NYC with Jo Kanamori in 2007, I invited her to see the performance. She loved it. And I was also staying at her place for two weeks! She was amazing.

MOXIE So was her part shot in NYC? AN Yes. MOXIE Ah... I was thinking that it looked like NYC. AN And when I received the footage, they were in such bad quality, that I decided to play with what I had. That way of thinking is very Al Hansen.

MOXIE Fabulous! This is quite a little story too AN Yes. And then naturally, we talked about our respective life story. I realised that Beck and I were exactly the same age, just a few days apart and that our childhood stories were quite similar too.

MOXIE A kind of collage... the way that we remember things.

AN And that’s the way I compose as well.

As I told you, I don’t structure anything in my head as a classically trained composer would.

MOXIE So there is a connection there too.

AN She showed me her father’s paintings, her family pictures. I had enjoyed Beck’s music before I knew her. So I guess everything is connected. Then later on, Bibbe showed me her texts.

MOXIE Fragmentation and re-assemblage.

AN Of course I pay attention to a sense of harmonisation between all the elements. But it is very organic. And that’s the Fluxus spirit.

So that’s why Bibbe and I get along so well together.

MOXIE Ah... the train of consciousness. Here we come.

MOXIE I remember at the beginning… there came a very jarring segment (sort of reminded me of a Madonna song). Heavy instrumentation suddenly kicked in.

AN She already liked my music, and was very supportive of it. She sent some texts to me and told me to do whatever I wanted with it. So I structured the poems to fit them into songs.

AN She really loved the video, which to me is like being knighted by the Queen

MOXIE ...and ‘Shiny Heart, Dirty Mind’ surfaced?

MOXIE Hahaha... We are all Queens my dear An!

AN That was already our seventh song. We already wrote many songs together. It’s been seven years now.

AN For the song, I was indeed inspired by Madonna’s album Rebel Heart.

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The Third Wife, Directed by Ash Mayfair, 2018

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“But I’ve always been

such an oddity that it was difficult for them to say much about my work. I never really belonged to any group. Maybe that saved me in a way.”

An, Photo by Norm Yip, 2012

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AN Particularly the demos, which have a raw flavor - which I really liked.

The contrast between folk guitars and the heavy beats.

MOXIE So my musical references are not far off the mark.

AN No. Actually it was Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart’ and Nine Inch Nail.

MOXIE Nine Inch Nail. I don’t know them.

AN The taxi scene is a little hint to David Lynch. NIN are a band.

MOXIE I found them on YT. AN ‘The Perfect Drug’ song by Nine Inch Nails. And David Lynch’s ‘Lost Highway’. So those were my ideas and references for the song and the MV. MOXIE David Lynch of ‘Blue Velvet’?

AN Yes, that David Lynch. Beck also does this contrasted instrumentation in his music.

What I like with him is that he isn’t afraid to show his vulnerability in his music. He uses musical elements from various sources but it ends up being very coherent. That’s why I feel such a kinship with him.

MOXIE You are referring to Beck?

AN Yes. Usually, male singer/songwriters do not venture very far vocally and musically.

Once they find their signature, they stick to it, more or less MOXIE So I am curious. Has anyone done a cover to one of your songs?

AN Some singers said they have, but I never heard anything.

MOXIE That’s a shame that you never heard their version.

AN I don’t know... Sometimes, ignorance is bliss...

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ONLYHK 2 - MONGKOK I have become somewhat desensitised to the city and the lights after having lived here for so long, so I need to make a conscious decision to go out and look for images that captivate me. Sometimes I come back with very little and other times I am lucky, such as this photograph of taxis and vehicles in a crowded street in Mongkok.

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PAU-LA Photo NORM YIP @normyip Fashion Direction PATRYK CHAOU @one.patrykchaou Performer PAUL LEE @paulf_moves Grooming RAYMOND L @rlcm0915

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MOXIE wool and cashmere coat | PAUL SMITH FROM MR PORTER

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MOXIE logo sweater | BALENCIAGA FROM MR PORTER

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MOXIE mockneck tee | CERRUTI 1881 logo sweatpants | AMIRI FROM MR PORTER sunglasses | MONCLER

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MOXIE camouflage sweater | MICHAEL KORS courduroy pants | AMI FROM MR PORTER platform boots | STYLIST’S OWN

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ohaku corduroy kimono jacket | KIND OF GUISE FROM KAPOK pinstripe sweatpants | FUTURE CLASSICS FROM KAPOK sunglasses | TOMMY HILFIGER

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v neck sweater | CERRUTI 1881 wool coat | MAISON KITSUNE

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MOXIE nylon sweatpants | VETEMENTS FROM MR PORTER sunglasses | DIOR HOMME

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nylon raincoat| VETEMENTS FROM MR PORTER

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melange sweater | KIND OF GUISE FROM KAPOK

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This photography session was taken 2018, initially as a submission for an online foreign magazine. It was not accepted. As with many of these creative projects, there are rejections. Plenty of them. Everyone that is involved in a creative fashion shoot usually offers their time and talent for free in hopes of getting their work in front of a larger audience. With Instagram leading the stack for reaching a wider audience, there are hopes that someone will approach the creative teams to do commercial work that pays. Yes, a paid shoot is what the creatives are hoping to gain, but with a freedom to create in an inhibitive way. So why the apology? First of all, all the clothing showcased here are ‘not in season’; they are out of date. People that are into fashion need to be on top of things and want only what is new and refreshing. So to the fashionistas out there, please just look the other way.

But for those that are seeking something a bit more exciting for the eyes to ponder on, here is a mix of clothing used more like an accessory item, and a naturally beautiful body to gaze upon. A very special thank you to Paul Lee for offering his talent in posing for this shoot.

★

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FLESH & FLOWERS

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BY COMBINING FLORAL BASKETS

TYPICALLY FOUND ON THE STREETS OF HONG KONG FOR GRAND OPENINGS OF SHOPS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF MALE BODIES, I FOUND A

STRANGE BUT EXCITING UNION OF SHAPE AND FORMS TO CREATE THE FOLLOWING ARTISTIC

DIGITAL RENDERINGS. THERE WAS NO FORMAL INTENTION TO TRY TO MELD FLOWERS AND BODIES, AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER BUT ONLY AS AN EXCERISE.

HOW THE FORMS MESHED WITH EACH OF WAS THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR

USING FREQUENCY SEPARATIONS AND

MANIPULATING THE HUES AND SATURATION LEVELS IN PHOTOSHOP.

EACH OF THESE CREATIONS ARE AVAILABLE

AS HIGH-END PRINTS THROUGH MY WEBSITE UNDER THE NYVA SHOP. NORMYIP.COM/NYVA 109

MOXIE The first incarnatio of meshing together flowers and parts of the human body came out better than expected. Given that the flowers were an array of various colors and the human body is monochromatic, the interaction between the layers would prove to be exciting. I did several versions of the Cluster arrangement; this one being the first with a magnificent cobalt-blue rose blossoming in the center.

Norm Yip Cluster Cobalt, 2019 Digital Photography Open and Limited Editions

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Here I found a mint-green colour to create the foundation to the photograph, while the remaining colors harmonised wonderfully to create this abstract decorative arrangement.

Norm Yip Floral MintBlossom, 2019 Digital Photography Open Editions

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Norm Yip Moobius BlueOxide, 2019 Digital Photography Open Editions

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Norm Yip Rango RedRose, 2019 Digital Photography Open Editions

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Tristan Peter

Imagemaker & Creator fashion & concept @tristanpeter men @tristantakes

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“Going through stages of intense periods of creativity. Testing the boundaries of what’s possible as a means to present alternatives. I enjoy the connection with models and the mutual willingness to dissolve the connection we have to reality. In this set of images my background aids my ability to push and pull which activates the model to really trust in the process, what ever the process may be at the time.”

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It was several year ago while I was sitting

I am deeply grateful for his contribution to

at BEAT VOLUME when Peter Tristan

the third instalment of MOXIE and hope to

approached me and asked if I was

see more of his work in future editions.

Norm Yip, the photographer. He kindly expressed a few complimentary words

Tristan Peter Website

on my photography of Asian men. Since

http://www.tristanpeter.com/

then, we have kept in contact through Instagram.

★

When I asked about submitting something for Moxie 03, I was delighted to find these superb multiple exposure photographs of the human body, where time is frozen over two time-frames and layered on one another.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Peter frequents Hong Kong and South Korea several times a year. A commercial photographer in the past, he now focuses on fashion and shooting creative concepts (@tristanpeter on IG), meanwhile shooting men on a continual basis (@tristantakes on IG). Photography has become more of a passion for him now, being able to pursue the clients he is most interested in.

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ONLYHK 3 - WANCHAI This was photographed while I was walking in the neighborhood of Wan Chai in the wet market. There is an enormous amount of vibrancy in the wonderful pockets of Hong Kong. Slowly, these kinds of places seem to become overtaken by new development, and the businesses, which are mostly owned by low income families are driven out.

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PART 2 Photo NORM YIP @normyipphotography Photo NORM YIP @normyip Model POP @popfei Model JYB @jybppd

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As the world becomes more accepting

of gays and lesbians as being a part of

the normative, there has been a growing

interest in the transgender community. As

such it was a privilege and honour meeting and photographing JYB, a transmale

spokesperson in Bangkok who decided to

transition from female to male six years ago.

JYB exemplies the bravery and attitude of

having moxie. Having discussed with him my

Beyond Skin | 心 • 目 exhibition, he agreed

to the shoot and flew to Hong Kong for the session.

Sporting a very masculine physique that

would be the envy of many guys, his body

displayed an array of tattoos covering most of his right chest and arms. Yet the most

interesting was the gothic text on his left leg quod me nutrit me distruit, which translate to what nourishes me destroys me.

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ONLYHK 4 - NORTH POINT This area in Hong Kong island is generally considered one of the less expensive districts to live; but because of sky-rocketing property, this has not been the case.

The introduction of sub-divided flats from normal-sized apartments into smaller compartments have left little to be desired. They call these type of units tong fong. I lived in one such tong fong unit for several years before vacating.

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PART 2 Photo NORM YIP @normyip Model KAJI @kajikay

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kaji Some of you may recall the photograph I called Blueboy from my previous posts on Facebook, Instagram, and even my website on normyip.com; however, I resisted putting up images of him revealing his face. It was not because I didn’t find Kaji attractive, but because I felt images of Blueboy’s body could stand on its own. In many instances, a face is too personal and identifiable to the abstract nature of body parts. A face also associates itself to a name or identity, thereby nullifying the title Blueboy.

For this showcase of Kaji, I thought it was time to reveal Blueboy’s identity. I hope you find the photographs do justice to this beautiful Korean man.

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Would you like to contribute?

Photographic Contributions I am looking for artistic photography of male nudes, travel or anything that you deem beautiful and interesting for viewers to see.

All initial photographs must be a minimum of 3000 pixels in the length dimension at a minimum of 150ppi. While every care is provided to the render the images exactly to the photographer’s original image, MOXIE reserves the option to make minor adjustments to the image (such as cropping) without permssion to the photographer for overall standard

Photo by Norm Yip, North Point, Hong Kong

and consistency of MOXIE. Contributors shall retain full copyright to the photographs submitted to MOXIE. Studio 8 Hong Kong Publishing Ltd. shall not be held responsible for any photographer’s submissions.

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Written Articles & Short Story Contributions Truth-seekers, awakened beings, artists, poets and writers are welcome to submit their work for inclusion in forthcoming issues of MOXIE. The articles may be fictional or personal in nature, while maintaining relevance to Asian men or men in general. Alternative topics that will be considered include issues that pertain to gender, sexuality, LGBT, inner and outer beauty, philosophy, vices and victories. It must have a passionate tone that encourage others to become who they are both inside and out.

How To Submit Please send your contribution or images to

submission@moxie.asia. Ideally photographs should be send via a Dropbox or Google link. This will facilitate easy transfer of files.

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What is moxie?

MOXIE is a self-published digital zine by Norm Yip and created on an ad-hoc basis with no specific time-limit. However the aim will be to publish exceptional material 4-6 times a year.

Online distributors MOXIE is available through the following digital magazine platforms: https://issuu.com/moxieasia https://zeero-s.com

Photo by Norm Yip, North Point, Hong Kong

Advertising / Advertorial If you would like to advertise with MOXIE, please send an email to info@moxie.asia.

Rates are economically prices for single-page spreads and double-page spreads.

Find us IG/FB @moxieasia http://moxie.asia

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Interested in modeling?

If you have an interest in modeling for MOXIE? Please send 3-5 clear and recent photographs showing your face and body to info@normyip.com or via the contact information below.

Ideally, you should be comfortable being nude or semi-nude in front of a camera and possess both an attractive face and body, besides a friendly and outgoing personality.

Furthermore, because of the nature of some of the shoots, all models are required to a sign model release that we both agree upon. It will make things easier for us in the future.

Connect with Norm Instagram @normyip Whatsapp +852 68388948 Website https://normyip.com Email: info@normyip.com

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by NORM YIP

h t t p : / / m ox i e . a s i a