Gerwyn Davies' Vivid Costumed Photographs Toy with the Intent of Portraiture

"Set against glowing backdrops of desert, city skylines, skate parks, and anonymous interiors, Gerwyn Davies ' vibrant photographs merge fashion photography with elaborate and sometimes bizarre handmade costumes. His practice harkens back to some of his first experiments with photography, when he and a group of friends would stage collaborative portraits in which they'd take turns operating the camera, posing, and searching the house for lamps to light the scene."

"Davies describes his practice as "queer photographic self-representation." He designs and creates the costumes himself, transforming the human figure into a sculptural form. Sometimes garments envelop his entire body, but even if his legs or arms are visible, the head is always obscured. When he takes the photo, Davies works blind, snapping a sequence of automatic shots while he quickly performs for the camera. From these, he later selects a final image."

"Whether made of sequined fabric, vinyl, or faux fur, Davies' costumes border on the quirky, humorous, and even absurd, as he explores the fluid relationship between fantasy and reality. He also plays with notions of what portrait photography is-or it's intended to reveal about the sitter. In this case, "the subject, which is always me, is conspicuous in the frame," the artist says, but the nature of concealment adds a playful, sometimes slightly unsettling layer of complexity."

Gerwyn Davies stages vibrant photographs against glowing backdrops such as deserts, city skylines, skate parks, and interiors. He designs and constructs elaborate handmade costumes that transform the human figure into sculptural forms, often obscuring the head. He works blind while performing for the camera, snapping automatic sequences and later selecting a final image. Materials include sequins, vinyl, and faux fur, creating images that are hyper-visible yet anonymous. The work navigates queer photographic self-representation, playfully interrogating portraiture, concealment, fantasy, and the relationship between reality and artifice. Early collaborative experiments involved staging portraits with friends, improvising lighting and taking turns operating the camera and posing, cultivating a fascination with readymades and fabricated fantasy.

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