Winner of the fifth edition of the Star Photobook Dummy Award.

“Make Me Beautiful” is a bold, ironic, and deeply personal exploration of the beauty standards shaping contemporary China. Blending documentation and performance, it invites us to question the endless cycle of expectations imposed on women, and the sacrifices made in the name of appearance.

Yufan Lu turns the camera on herself, becoming both subject and observer as she undergoes evaluations by beauty clinics and redesigns suggested by plastic surgeons. With a fresh, minimalist visual language, she captures the sterile precision of these spaces— until her narrative is cleverly disrupted by handwritten marks, cutouts, and screenshots from social media that reveal the absurdity and pressure behind the pursuit of perfection.

Through a mix of sharp critique, honesty, and humour, Lu’s work embodies the spirit of the Star Photobook Dummy Award—celebrating authenticity, empowerment, and the courage to challenge conventions.