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Pixy Liao and Takahiro Morooka met at the University of Memphis when Liao was a graduate student studying photography and Morooka was an undergraduate student studying jazz. Liao saw Morooka at an international student orientation but was too nervous to say anything, until a year later when they crossed paths.

“I saw him again on campus because I was honestly purposefully looking at him and I was like, ‘Oh, good chance that’s him.’ I went up to him and said ‘I’m a photographer, can I come and take pictures of you?’” Liao said. “He agreed.”

Since then, Liao and Morooka have been collaborating artistically for the past 16 years. When Morooka first started working with Liao, she would photograph portraits of him in deserted buildings, hospitals and streets in Memphis. Morooka said that he would not only be Liao’s model, but also her bodyguard in these unsafe locations.

Liao’s exhibition, Futari (Two Persons), will feature photography inspired by her relationship with Morooka. The exhibition is featured at the Light Work Gallery from Jan. 18 to March 10, and there will be a reception at Light Work on Feb. 3 for the Syracuse University community to attend in-person or via live stream. The reception will feature a musical performance by Liao and Morooka’s band, PIMO, which stands for Pixy and Moro.

Liao’s relationship with Morooka was unlike anything she ever anticipated, she said. The couple was surprised when they got to know each other and found that Morooka is five years younger than Liao and Japanese, whereas Liao is Chinese.

When Liao and Morooka first started dating, they kept their relationship secret from their families because of their differing cultural backgrounds and age gap. Liao shared that her father drew an image of a “savage man” to depict what he thought Morooka, and all Japanese men, looked like. He had never met a Japanese person before.

“Eventually, I was able to bring Moro to China. My family realized that this isn’t a savage person, he is actually very gentle,” Liao said. “It was just a bias they all had.”

Liao added that she enjoyed the feeling of independence she got from her nontraditional relationship with Morooka. As their relationship grew stronger, she began photographing her experience dating a younger man.

Later on in their relationship, Liao began singing and writing songs with Morooka. The music project, PIMO, started in 2011 when Morooka became tired of carrying his bass on the New York City subway to meet his band at the time.

Morooka and Liao’s band, PIMO, will perform at the Feb. 3 reception for the Futari (Two Persons) exhibition at Light Work. Courtesy of Pixy Liao

Morooka compares PIMO’s sound to a “Grandma’s kitchen band with a toy keyboard,” although he said his new album pulls inspiration from chiptune, Bossa Nova and classical rock.

The Futari exhibit is a perfect combination of Morooka’s and Liao’s work coming together. PIMO will be performing at the reception, and Morooka is featured in many of the photographs, as is his grandma’s house that was recently demolished.

“I haven’t seen the full exhibition yet, but I know some photos from my grandma’s house are in it,” Morooka said. “The house will be demolished due to the Japanese earthquake safety law, so I’m glad she captured the last moment of the house.”

Liao’s pictures depict the long days and nights she spent with Morooka during the pandemic. She said she hopes that audiences will reflect on their own relationships and what it is like to live with someone you love.

“It’s very hard to predict how people will react to your work, and people have different opinions on relationships and gender roles, but that doesn’t matter,” Liao said. “If my photo can trigger them to think about the insignificant times you spend with someone special and talk about it, that reaction or feeling is good enough.”

Published on February 2, 2022 at 9:13 pm