Memphis photographer Tommy Kha kisses strangers. In his series Return to Sender, the artist toys with stereotypes of Asian men as being submissive or asexual and blurs the roles of photographer, sitter, and storyteller by capturing the act of kissing without returning the gesture. Kha receives kisses from friends and lovers as well, but his passive stance and blank expression makes the relationships indeterminable — and the results are somewhat amusing, despite Return to Sender‘s serious conceptual undertone. The only rule for participants? “They can kiss me however they want but they have to kiss me on the lips,” he told My Modern Met. See more of Kha’s stoic self-portraits, below.
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Patrick Memphis, TN 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Unknown No. 1 Memphis, TN 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
David No. 2 Memphis, TN 2011
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Brittany Brooklyn, NY 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Joey Memphis, TN 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Samuel Memphis, TN 2011
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Akemi Woodstock, NY 2012
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Unknown No. 4 Memphis, TN 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Bart Memphis, TN 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Ariel Woodstock, NY 2012
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Rachel Manhattan, NY 2010
Photo credit: Tommy Kha
Jen Memphis, TN 2010