In a fluorescent-lit subway car, sometime in the early 1990s, Audrey Hepburn sat perfectly poised. Illuminated by the harsh overhead light, her legs elegantly crossed, a slender cigarette holder between her gloved fingers, she wore a classic pearl necklace and meticulously styled hair. Amid this mundane commuter setting, she engendered an unlikely scene—the surreal juxtaposition of a “Hollywood star” with bleakly mundane surroundings. But this image is not a lost frame from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) showing Holly Golightly in commuter transit. The protagonist is Yasumasa Morimura, in one of his countless transformations for the One Hundred M’s Self-portraits photo series (1993–2000), exhibited in “Yasumasa Morimura and Cindy Sherman: Masquerades” at Hong Kong’s M+ museum. For an artist who has spent decades masquerading as cultural icons and historical figures, from van Gogh to Marilyn Monroe, Morimura in person has an unlikely demeanor. Recently he appeared almost reticent, fidgeting slightly in the gallery space as he awaited another round of interviews. Settling into our conversation at M+, I found the artist’s quiet reserve an interesting contrast to the theatrical photographs that surrounded us.