5 Indian Photographers Whose Work Showcases the LGBTQIA+ Community

Some prolific photographers use their lens to share their perspective of the LGBTQIA+ community in our country

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12 October, 2019

5 Indian Photographers Whose Work Showcases the LGBTQIA+ Community

Some prolific photographers use their lens to share their perspective of the LGBTQIA+ community in our country

“I’ve always taken any kind of societal injustice personally. And my love for storytelling helps me in my revolts, where I try to etch the message into people’s hearts and minds by weaving a story around the matter. The series I did on the LGBTQIA+ community, Coming Out, hails from a similar place, too. Being around umpteen beautiful souls who were constantly hiding who they really were because of the fear of rejection was the driving force for me. The life of the LGBTQIA+ community is still a nightmare in many parts of the country. I’ve heard cases of homosexuals being dismissed as delusional or immature, and, on sadder days, even hurt or forsaken by their own people. I wanted to give a voice to their misfortunes, to put into perspective how the persecution affects their lives on so many different levels. I could only do it with a tragic ending, because if the oppression of those innocent lives was not a reality, we wouldn’t have to talk about it at all.”

11. Arjun“I’ve always taken any kind of societal injustice personally. And my love for storytelling helps me in my revolts, where I try to etch the message into people’s hearts and minds by weaving a story around the matter. The series I did on the LGBTQIA+ community, Coming Out, hails from a similar place, too. Being around umpteen beautiful souls who were constantly hiding who they really were because of the fear of rejection was the driving force for me. The life of the LGBTQIA+ community is still a nightmare in many parts of the country. I’ve heard cases of homosexuals being dismissed as delusional or immature, and, on sadder days, even hurt or forsaken by their own people. I wanted to give a voice to their misfortunes, to put into perspective how the persecution affects their lives on so many different levels. I could only do it with a tragic ending, because if the oppression of those innocent lives was not a reality, we wouldn’t have to talk about it at all.”

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“For me, it’s important that my subject and I share a common vision. Hence, I usually work with friends or people I know. And I’ve had the chance to work with subjects who have a lot to offer to my understanding of issues; we share knowledge, ideas, and experiences during shoots. My photographs are the exact reflections of my feelings, my fantasies, my desires, and, most of all, my dreams. A majority of them also take inspiration from my theoretical understanding of expressionism. I try to narrate a story, and project a sense of melancholy, loneliness, and belonging. The idea is to normalise homosexuality in this heteronormative society. I do get hateful comments on the work, but the love and appreciation that comes outweighs them.”

42. Mohit Tiwari“For me, it’s important that my subject and I share a common vision. Hence, I usually work with friends or people I know. And I’ve had the chance to work with subjects who have a lot to offer to my understanding of issues; we share knowledge, ideas, and experiences during shoots. My photographs are the exact reflections of my feelings, my fantasies, my desires, and, most of all, my dreams. A majority of them also take inspiration from my theoretical understanding of expressionism. I try to narrate a story, and project a sense of melancholy, loneliness, and belonging. The idea is to normalise homosexuality in this heteronormative society. I do get hateful comments on the work, but the love and appreciation that comes outweighs them.”

5Mohit Tiwari

6Mohit Tiwari

“I’ve always been attracted to people on the margins of society. I’ve been on the margins myself, due to a childhood riddled with illnesses, and a troubled growing-up phase. In many ways, like most photographs, my images are a reflection of the times we have lived in. I worked closely with the LGBTQIA+ community, but while I haven’t made images of many of them, the time spent sharing life and experiences with them, over cups of tea and hearty laughs, has been beautiful! The images reflect that closeness and the bond, between the sitters [subjects] and me. I’m not sure if they’ll end up being important records in the years to come, but they’ll certainly remain testimony to the beautiful time I have spent with my sitters.”

73. Soham“I’ve always been attracted to people on the margins of society. I’ve been on the margins myself, due to a childhood riddled with illnesses, and a troubled growing-up phase. In many ways, like most photographs, my images are a reflection of the times we have lived in. I worked closely with the LGBTQIA+ community, but while I haven’t made images of many of them, the time spent sharing life and experiences with them, over cups of tea and hearty laughs, has been beautiful! The images reflect that closeness and the bond, between the sitters [subjects] and me. I’m not sure if they’ll end up being important records in the years to come, but they’ll certainly remain testimony to the beautiful time I have spent with my sitters.”

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“A friend used to tell me about her dreams. For the last 16 years, she’s had a recurring dream where she sits on a chair beside a window in the room in which her sister died. In the dream, she returns home from an unknown war and there’s a dead body lying on the bed. The identity of the dead character is never clear. Is it her lover? Her sister? Maybe her mother? Why is she wearing a warrior’s uniform? Is it because she’s been fighting for acceptance? Or because her mother always told her that it would be a crime for her to love another girl? The only thing clear is the anxiety she faces as she pursues the love of her choice. Hearing about her subconscious inspired me to work on stories about my LGBTQIA+ friends in India—their rights, dreams, and desires. Through these photos, I created a space where they could express their personal experiences and feelings, outside of their lived reality. In a society that prevents them from living a ‘normal’ life, the photographs imagine a world in which freedom to live according to one’s own desires exists for all. ”

10Soumya Sankar Bose“A friend used to tell me about her dreams. For the last 16 years, she’s had a recurring dream where she sits on a chair beside a window in the room in which her sister died. In the dream, she returns home from an unknown war and there’s a dead body lying on the bed. The identity of the dead character is never clear. Is it her lover? Her sister? Maybe her mother? Why is she wearing a warrior’s uniform? Is it because she’s been fighting for acceptance? Or because her mother always told her that it would be a crime for her to love another girl? The only thing clear is the anxiety she faces as she pursues the love of her choice. Hearing about her subconscious inspired me to work on stories about my LGBTQIA+ friends in India—their rights, dreams, and desires. Through these photos, I created a space where they could express their personal experiences and feelings, outside of their lived reality. In a society that prevents them from living a ‘normal’ life, the photographs imagine a world in which freedom to live according to one’s own desires exists for all. ”

11Soumya Sankar Bose

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“Some of the photographs reveal only the truth that I want you to see. And others show the truth that exists only in the frame, make-believe of sorts. But all of them invariably reflect the truths of my surroundings and experiences, and are based on real stories, social stigmas, and the different perceptions people have towards the LGBTQIA+ community. The idea is to be a mirror to society, challenge prejudices, and help people unlearn the general stereotypes around sexuality and gender. As part of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I had always wanted to do something for it. And the lens gave me the chance to re-define love, and propose a new, quietly courageous definition of it. It is often condemned as blasphemy...even pornography...but a part of me urges me to persist, to continue to create my art, and try to change pre-conceived notions, through the subjects, and the visual impact of shooting them in their rawest, barest elements.”

135. Tushar Choudhary“Some of the photographs reveal only the truth that I want you to see. And others show the truth that exists only in the frame, make-believe of sorts. But all of them invariably reflect the truths of my surroundings and experiences, and are based on real stories, social stigmas, and the different perceptions people have towards the LGBTQIA+ community. The idea is to be a mirror to society, challenge prejudices, and help people unlearn the general stereotypes around sexuality and gender. As part of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I had always wanted to do something for it. And the lens gave me the chance to re-define love, and propose a new, quietly courageous definition of it. It is often condemned as blasphemy...even pornography...but a part of me urges me to persist, to continue to create my art, and try to change pre-conceived notions, through the subjects, and the visual impact of shooting them in their rawest, barest elements.”