Patriarchal culture established notions of man as rigid, emotionless, uncaring, and incapable of revealing his vulnerability. They must act to secure their position of power and superiority, which frequently results in violence and abuse of others in their immediate vicinity. Growing up in such a society, I was a double victim of that mentality. I was subjected to abuse by my “alpha male” father, but I was also not able to express my feelings or pursue the life I wanted due to it being “emasculating”. Those experiences and the peer pressure from the heteronormative culture led to multiple emotional scars in my later life. Further, these preconceptions compelled me to hide my negative feelings and project toxic positivity, resulting in additional suffering.

This project explores the psychological and physical wounds that have shaped me and which I have tried to suppress. It is a form of self-therapy since it allows me to revisit the negative experiences and express myself in ways I was never permitted. Reliving and reflecting on past situations become an outlet for voicing my displeasure with the world.

The series “Used”, converges on omnipresent publicity, which impacts contemporary beauty standards. The pursuit of glamour became an irrational game, where those that do not keep up are left behind like a piece of used junk. In my work, I combined scrunched photographs of models from Vogue Magazine, with crushed Coca-Cola tins. The juxtaposition of the symbol of acceptable beauty with the deformed sign of contemporary culture creates a dichotomy while implying no differentiation between them. As the forms reconfigure, the viewer receives a hint of the throw-away culture present in modern society. The inspiration for this project came from my personal experiences and observation. However, it was also influenced by Man Ray, George Condo and John Berger.

A study in light, colour, and form. Created in the studio ​with a collection of coloured filters and lenses that I’ve ​acquired over the years