Artist Chan-Hyo Bae interprets bonkers British heritage in these stunning photographs

It only takes a visit to the V&A or some quality time (days) spent in front of period drama box-sets to make you realise just how bonkers old English traditions and costumes are. To someone like Chan Hyo-Bae, who was born in Korea and moved to this small island at a young age, he became fascinated with the idea of costume and hidden identity. The stiff, choreographed poses of the upper classes reveal so much of the traditions of the time, yet so little of the minds and personalities behind the rich fabrics. This notion is part of the reason why Chan chooses to dress up in these elaborate costumes to create his own art – in order to fit into into this country and tap the surface of understanding it’s culture, Chan puts himself on show, but at the same time gives nothing away. The result? A beautiful and mildly unsettling series of photographs.