“Why are girls allowed to express affection to each other but boys cannot?” It’s a question asked innocently by one of the many teenage subjects in Alexandra Leese’s new exhibition: Boys of Hong Kong. Shot in 2017 when the photographer returned to Hong Kong, her city of birth, to capture its boys in their varied performances of masculinity— looking closely at one particular generation of boys as they approach adulthood.

Leese was motivated by the strict archetypes of masculinity in the city of her birth and in Asian culture, at large. Questioning them at every turn. Her imagery reflects a spectrum many styles of rebellion against these societal pressures, while celebrating the beautiful diversity of male youth in Hong Kong. Ahead of her March 15th exhibition at London’s Red Gallery, Leese provided Document with a first look at the photo series she shot alongside director Luke Casey.