Man meets Woman

Man Meets Woman is a collection of images that illustrate the author/artist’s experiences of the differences between the sexes. Using the common icons for men and women found on restroom doors, Yang Liu expounds on common themes such as shopping, travel, love and romance, relationships, body image, work, etc. The images are funny and clever, and while initially they seem simple, the sparse, stark drawings precisely highlight the perception gulf between men and women, at least as the author understands it. (She makes no pretense to any experience but her own.) Most of these images are fairly stereotypical – for example the one titled ‘luggage’ shows the man with a single bag, while the woman has five and a purse – but the point is that stereotypes come from somewhere, and no matter how much we think that as a culture we have overcome specific gender roles, there is still a vast divide that hinders communication. The book has a sly, tongue-in-cheek humor, although some of the images are so pointed they hurt. It is not meant to be a philosophical treatise, but rather a spark to conversation and, hopefully, a bridge to improved understanding.