Are humans adrift in a cosmic ocean of amniotic alienation, or are we rooted in civilization, evolution and interconnection? These are the provocative questions posed in David Uzochukwu’s immersive portfolio.
The Austrian born photographer juxtaposes his subjects against impossibly beautiful backdrops, as if we are the twisted fruit of a Technicolor orchard, plucked at random and mashed together seductively.
And Uzochukwu routinely positions himself at the vortex of his own dizzying creative tsunami.
In an interview with W magazine, the artist divulges, “I discover new facets of myself every time I make [a self portrait], live through emotions I didn’t know I had bottled up inside me.”
Those emotions burst through the screen with every image the visionary captures. The male form contorts into a graceful tangle, yearning to cling to its terrestrial tethers yet flourishing beyond comprehension.
Uzochukwu depicts gay figures as hybrid creatures, molting our earthly façade and adopting claws, scales and fins to literally go with the flow. We must swim upstream against a persistent flood of bigotry and fear in order to achieve our eventual actualization.
“A frightening aspect of queerness was the mind-numbing loneliness growing up,” reveals Uzochukwu.
“Dozens of voices from outside found their way inside, and I could barely hear anything over the raging noise. But the more you learn to trust yourself, the more they quiet down. The more you stand up for yourself, the more joy you find.”
Wounded elation pulses through the works of David Uzochukwu, luring viewers through epic landscapes, yet peppered with intimate details.
All Homo sapiens are ripped from Mother Nature’s womb, but the journey of gay individuals is especially confounding. We are immediately identified as the other, suckling from a teat defined by procreation.
So, where should queer voyagers channel our passions? According to Uzochukwu, the possibilities stretch endlessly around the globe and beyond the stars. Venture boldly.
Last modified: July 27, 2021
