A photobook born from the collaborative project between Lin Zhipeng aka No.223 and curator/producer Anna Mistal.
It features 75 color photographs taken in Paris in 2023.

Transcending the stereotypical image of the city known as the “capital of love,” Amour Défendu reveals tenderness and freedom hidden in its quiet streets and among its people.
Continuing Lin’s long-standing exploration of love and freedom, the subjects in these photographs embody a “forbidden love” that affirms their own existence—quietly, yet with courage.

In addition to Lin Zhipeng’s photographs and words, the book includes a three-way conversation with Anna Mistal and Akio Nagasawa.

Artist Statement

"Amour Defendu (Forbidden Love)" explores the love expressed by people of different and nonconforming genders, challenging the traditional concept of “public nudity” through a kind of “liberation.”

LOVE is a subject that I have focused on for a long time, but this is the first time I have taken a large number of photographs of nudes in a public urban space. I have shot in cities before, and occasionally in public areas, but this is the first time I have undertaken an urban project on such a large scale. I used the kinds of Asian models I was familiar with, since we have a similar cultural background. Together we put aside the conservatism and tradition we Asians have to search for the kind of freedom that is born out of pleasure.

It was a very challenging shoot. Different from the previous project, "Grand Amour", where I was shooting in the completely safe indoor atmosphere of a hotel. This time I photographed nudes in public: on the street, in parks, in bars, on rooftops, etc. I felt anxious when shooting since I didn’t want to disturb passersby, but I was excited about these challenges. Therefore, in a very tight and urgent atmosphere, I not only had to forget these pressures and make the model feel comfortable, but also let the work take on a free expression, which was very exciting.

– Lin Zhipeng aka No.223 (from press release in 2023)