Two of my photographic works were selected for inclusion in ‘Fluid’, a group exhibition presented by the Nelson Mandela University Department of Arts, Heritage and Culture. The exhibition sought to raise awareness around issues of gender and gender fluidity through contemporary visual practice.
My participation in Fluid reflects an ongoing engagement with photography as a medium for social inquiry, using visual language to contribute to broader conversations on identity, representation, and inclusivity.
Bharatanatyam:
The series, entitled Bharatanatyam, features a male Bharatanatyam dancer, an art form that is almost entirely dominated by female performers. This imbalance is likely due in part to the persistence of centuries-old patriarchal prejudices against men pursuing dance as a professional career, both in India and internationally. As a result, sponsorships and patronage are more often awarded to female dancers than to their male counterparts.
Male dancers, particularly unmarried men, frequently face significant social prejudice, as the pursuit of dance is often misconstrued as emasculating. These attitudes reflect deeply entrenched biases that are closely linked to homophobia and outdated constructions of masculinity and femininity.
BeVryDing:
The series, entitled BeVryDing, features the Spring/Summer 2017 fashion range by designer Dalton Smit. The collection interrogates the social conservatism of Afrikaner culture in South Africa by challenging traditional views on gender roles and sexuality. Conventional Afrikaner garments, such as rugby shorts and khaki uniforms, are reinterpreted in a pastel colour palette and combined with crochet work, doilies, and mohair fibres to push the boundaries of personal identity.
The range seeks to promote modernity and progressiveness within contemporary Afrikaner society, aiming to liberate it from entrenched negative stereotypes. The Afrikaans word bevryding translates to “liberation,” while the deliberate capitalisation of each syllable emphasises a layered subtext: Be (to be), Vry (free), and Ding (“thing”), referencing a non-specific gender or sexuality.
Photo by Shannon Claire Wright to mark the occasion.