‘Vulnerability Is Our Power’ is an exploration of queer intimacy and emotionality outside of societal norms that teach us that they are signs of weakness. We speak with our bodies to the power of connection, and the strength it takes to be truly vulnerable. Concepts of power in the world today leave us disconnected and disenfranchised. We express these forms of tenderness and affection as a radical act of vulnerability and power.
Armed with new vernacular to talk about non-normative ways of being, queer, non-binary and transgender folks are becoming more visible and vocal about our experiences. “Queer”, “non-binary” and “transgender” takes so many forms. They exist in solitude and in relation to others. We reveal ourselves to lovers and friends privately, and we reveal our identities to the world publicly. In other words, queerness is both deeply personal and public. This collaboration is part of my personal exploration of vulnerability and intimacy in the context of the queer and non-binary experience.
As a queer trans-non-binary person, I focus on exploring these topics and representing the power that lies within them. In this collaboration, we each allowed ourselves to become completely immersed, spontaneous and honest, and to be influenced and changed in the process. Together we created and captured emboldened, wordless moments – characterized by a kind of open-ended intimacy suspended uniquely in time. There’s an emotional palette that comes with intimacy. It is an opening up to what is, and what is possible.







Credits
Photographer: Anthon Smith @anthondsmith
Models:
Beni Xiao @verysmallbear
Adrienne Yeung @translucency