Gold: Dear Father
Dear Father redefines the bond between father and son, exploring acceptance through a role reversal. As I painted my father's face, we forged a new understanding. He became the performer, while my queerness, long hair, and piercings became normalized. His exaggerated eyes, hair, and makeup transformed into a familiar reflection, allowing me to step out of my performance.
I photographed my father, a traditional farmer and religious man performing everyday tasks on our Brazilian farm, aiming to recapture childhood memories. Familiar scenes of him tending the farm, riding his motorcycle, or slaughtering a sheep were given new life by his willingness to do so in drag.
This engaged and expressive man, keen to be photographed up close in full makeup, was someone I had never recognized before. The project became a meeting point between photographer and subject, father and son.
Having faced misunderstanding and haunted by the boy who despised himself for being gay, who didn’t become a farmer or engineer, but was labelled ‘golo’ (a family’s dialect homophobic slur), this project directly addresses those who misunderstand and label. ‘Golo’ once taunted me, but now it inspires me to create change. In Dear Father, I have escaped this colloquial tag through an experimental and intimate exploration of our relationship. The project has become a means for my father to demonstrate his acceptance and encouragement, bringing us to communicate our feelings and sending a clear message to extended family and friends in Brazil who labelled me.
Dear Father has become a cherished, microcosmic yet profound message that we are all capable of understanding much more than we realize. My father, riding his motorbike through the farm with the wind flowing through his bouffant hair, is a testament to that on so many levels.
Dear Father, as a child I promised myself I would never drink beer, it tastes bitter.
The image shows the individual sitting outdoors in what appears to be a rural setting. They are wearing blue and white striped shirt and have dramatic makeup and voluminous curly wig. The makeup features bold green and yellow eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, and red lipstick, creating a striking contrast against the more casual surroundings. The person is sitting near a large tree with a rustic wooden fence and shed visible in the background, giving the scene a countryside feel. In front of the person, there is a table covered with multiple bottles of "Brahma" beer, arranged in rows. Their expression appears calm and serious, almost contemplative, as they look slightly upwards, which contrasts with the playful nature of their appearance and the casual beer bottles spread in front of them. The natural outdoor light highlights the trees in the background, with leaves casting a soft shadow over the scene. The setting suggests a mix of humour and contradiction, with the person's flamboyant look and theatrical makeup standing out against the laid-back, rural environment and casual beer-drinking scene.
