This looks better irl

'This looks better IRL' follows young people in this contemporary subculture, largely influenced by Asian media and pop culture, full of community spirit, individuality and personal challenges, as they prepare for and attend cosplay conventions in Western Europe. Cosplay is a form of performance art in which participants use costumes and accessories to portray a particular character from the world of comics, anime, and manga. This community includes a large proportion of neurodivergent people. Screenshots from the cosplayers’ social media accounts are a recurring element in the publication, revealing much of their underlying feelings. The book shows a timely subculture in which the interplay between the online and offline worlds, the astonishing costumes, and the youthful vulnerabilities are so delicately portrayed by Xu.

Xiaoxiao Xu (1984), born in Qingtian in southeastern China, moved to the Netherlands during her teenage years. This transition and living half of her life amid a different culture has broadened her perspective. Her photography, which navigates the delicate line between documentary and autonomous work, reflects her dual perspective as both insider and outsider. Xu graduated cum laude from the Photo Academy Amsterdam and has since exhibited her work internationally in museums and festivals, with exhibitions at venues such as the Times Museum in Guangzhou, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Switzerland. Xu has been recognized with numerous awards and nominations, including the Lucie Photo Book Prize and the Jimei × Arles Women Photographers Award. Her books have received critical acclaim, with Shooting the Tiger being honored among the Best Dutch Book Designs in 2023, and Aeronautics in the Backyard selected as one of the best photo books by De Volkskrant and The Guardian.