"China - Love Cutting" is a series of portraits by two Swiss photographers of Chinese hairdressers and their respective living quarters, presenting a dialogue between public image and the private sphere.

The photographs were taken in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, some 2,000 kilometres west of Shanghai. With 14 million inhabitants, Chengdu is a booming economic centre in western China. A large percentage of its population come from the surrounding countryside, seeking new opportunities in the city. Job offers, which include accommodation, are highly sought after. But the lodging provided varies greatly from windowless rooms to basic dormitories, and sometimes private rooms. Employees will often spend a few years living in such conditions before attempting to get a place of their own. These young people comprise China's soaring migrant population.

(All images: Nico Métraux and Stephanie Borcard)