BOUND

Art has long celebrated the unclothed human form, yet our modern relationship with the male body remains deeply conflicted. In 2013, when I began photographing the nude figure, I encountered an artistic landscape nearly devoid of male nudity – a void that revealed our collective discomfort with our physicality.

Our culture reveals naked women everywhere, from ads to movies to fine art. When it comes to nude men, it’s another story. When we do see naked men, we usually make jokes, call it porn, or say it’s just for gay men. My work asks when men will be allowed to be vulnerable? We don’t want to admit that men can be both strong and vulnerable at the same time because it challenges our ideas about masculinity. There is no nuance regarding the male character, only cartoons and unrealistic expectations.

Stripping away the armor of masculinity—suggesting that strength can coexist with vulnerability—creates cracks in our cultural armor that many find deeply unsettling.

We speak of being “naked” when our truths are exposed, wrapping ourselves in protective layers—coats, blankets, towels—when we feel too seen, too exposed. We construct invisible barriers to shield ourselves from difficult realities and unexplored paths.

The exhibit, BOUND, delves into these countless moments of concealment, revelation, and struggle against unseen constraints. These images echo primal human experiences—birth, marriage, the act of holding and being held, the sanctuary of the womb, and the finality of the shroud. They capture our perpetual dance between hiding and being seen, constraint and liberation.

Bound consists of 8 photographic works: two 18″ X 27″ and two 27″ x 18″ archival prints with velvet lamination on aluminum, and four 50″ x 75″ dye sublimation on art silk—all available as editioned to 25 plus one AP.