Australian photographer Gerwyn Davies has gained recognition for his vibrant and unconventional approach to portrait photography, creating elaborate handmade costumes that transform his body into sculptural forms against striking backdrops. His work combines fashion photography with bizarre and fantastical elements, featuring himself as the subject in every image while completely obscuring his identity through elaborate costume design.
Davies' artistic journey began with collaborative experiments among friends, where they would take turns operating cameras, posing, and improvising lighting setups using household lamps. "It was Vogue magazine on a B-horror film budget," Davies explains. "I was transfixed by the potential to fabricate fantasy through photography and from that point I was very excited about what else I could do with it." These early playful sessions sparked his continued fascination with readymade materials and highly constructed photographic approaches.
The photographer describes his practice as "queer photographic self-representation," designing and creating every costume himself to transform the human figure into artistic sculpture. His garments, made from materials ranging from sequined fabric and vinyl to faux fur, often envelop his entire body. Even when arms or legs remain visible, Davies always obscures his head completely, maintaining anonymity while creating a conspicuous presence in each frame.
Davies employs a unique shooting technique, working blind while quickly performing for the camera and capturing sequences of automatic shots. He later selects final images from these rapid-fire sessions, creating photographs set against glowing backdrops that include desert landscapes, city skylines, skate parks, and anonymous interior spaces. His costumes often feature shimmering and sparkling materials that border on the quirky, humorous, and absurd as he explores the fluid relationship between fantasy and reality.
The artist deliberately plays with conventional notions of portrait photography and what it should reveal about its subject. "In this case, the subject, which is always me, is conspicuous in the frame," Davies notes, "but the nature of concealment adds a playful, sometimes slightly unsettling layer of complexity." He explains that elaborate costumes with shimmering materials make the subject "almost hyper-visible" while simultaneously preventing viewers from seeing specific details about the person beneath.
This intentional contradiction creates what Davies describes as a subject that is "both there and not there, seen and unseen, they are hidden in plain sight." The face remains constantly obstructed by fabric, and the precise dimensions of the figure become wildly distorted, making it impossible for viewers to fully comprehend the subject. This approach challenges traditional portrait photography's goal of revealing the sitter's identity or character.
Davies' innovative work has been featured in "Exposure: Contemporary Photographers in Australia and New Zealand," showcasing his contribution to contemporary photographic art. His photographs continue to push boundaries between fashion, performance, and fine art photography, creating a unique visual language that questions the very nature of photographic representation and identity. The artist maintains an active online presence, sharing his latest creations through his website and Instagram account for audiences worldwide.
