That's Not The Way The River Flows

​

2019

​

Gender, in western society, is being re-conceptualised. Our experience of gender is changing. Transforming our perception of what it is to be male or female, opening to a multitude of identities including gender non-conforming, transgender and gender queer. We are no longer restricted by the binary. As we unpick the complicated narrative of gender and the generalisations that it encapsulates, we are forced to re-imagine what it is that makes us who we are beyond the binary. The beginning of change starts with the self.

That’s Not The Way The River Flows (2019) is a photographic series that playfully explores masculinity and femininity through self-portraits. From stills taken of myself performing scenes in front of the camera, this project aims to show the inner conflicts that I have with identity and the gendered experience. It reveals the pressures, stereotypes and difficulties faced with growing up in a heavily, yet subtly, gendered society and how that has impacted the acceptance and exploration of the self.