Ewan by Tiu Makkonen

Ewan was shot by Tiu Makkonen in Glasgow.
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"I think it's really important to infuse LGBT+ stories into the fabric of everyday society, to normalise our existence by bringing our lived experiences to the forefront - particularly the experiences of those most marginalised and underrepresented even in the mainstream LGBT+ community. Sometimes queer art can exist in a bit of a bubble, but for real impact it must be placed prominently, unapologetically into the public domain. The average joe on the street might not seek out a queer photography exhibition in a gallery to begin with, but when the exhibition is at the bus stop, or the middle of the street, it can't be avoided. And that's a type of creative anarchy I like. I've exhibited my queer portrait projects more in public, non-traditionally arty places such as community centres, a gym and a sexual health clinic rather than galleries, so getting the chance to feature photographs of my beloved Glaswegian LGBT+ community in arguably the most public way possible is amazing!

It's rare for queer visibility to be presented on such a scale, let alone work created from within the community itself. I've never been in the company of so many other LGBT+ photographers, and from day 1 I had trust that this project was going to be something extraordinary." - Tiu Makkonen