This body of work, set in South Wales, aims to give LGBTQ+ appearances a chance to reclaim and fill spaces. With so many negative experiences of glances, comments and more, the project takes control of this attention and autilises it to showcase the beauty in queer appearances. Each individual has a personal story that they bring to the portraiture. This is a project that is both a celebration and a stance. This is part one of the project, released during Pride Month. This project will expand over time and be updated in parts.

“It’s kind of funny how fear and power become so woven with eachother. Being so visibly queer gives me so much strength yet makes me feel so vulnerable. The key is learning to harness the strength to keep the fear at bay.”

You mention that each subject has a personal story they elude in the images. Was there any personal inspiration from you to this project?

There is definitely quite a bit of personal inspiration coming from myself for the project. It started through a conversation with my friend where we discussed how we always get looks and comments based on our more visible and expressive appearances. I was so eager to turn the looks we get into something that is empowering for the community, especially being a part of it myself. I feel that by sharing other's stories I'm sharing snippets of my own and so in many ways my personal inspirations and aspirations of being seen are present, even if I physically am not.

You touch upon this in your description, but why do you think projects like these are so important for young people in society today?

I think that projects like these are so important for young people in society today because it allows young people to find representation over the ways they identify regarding sexuality and gender. Getting to grips with these things can be so tricky especially when you are limited by living in rural areas, but to see someone who looks, acts and expresses themselves similarly to you gives you a tool to digest these things from an outside perspective. It was quite important to me that the project feels empowering and celebratory which I think is also very important to young people. If someone is struggling it shows a future where there is light at the end of the tunnel. Highlighting positive stories showcases an outcome where it does get better. Equally, the amazing response I had emphasised the need to be seen, showing that it can be hugely beneficial for young people to be involved in these projects. The process itself has been healing for myself as a creator and as a young queer person.

“There’s things you don’t think about. Suddenly the towel was placed on my body differently.”

“I feel like in rural areas, the ideas of masculinity and femininity are more rigid. As queer people it’s scary to blur these lines, but arguably it’s these more rural areas where it counts the most to be visible”.