The crisis in masculinity worldwide is a hot topic in the news, but what is it like to be a man today? In a world where men are being told to be emotionally available by some, and to keep their emotions in check by others. To be vulnerable but also strong. How do men express their voices in today’s society?
For London-based fine art photographer Nanthan (Satha Nanthan Letchumanan), the answer is a series of detailed black-and-white portraits that capture men in midlife, their bodies on display and celebrating their identities, including those from the LGBT+ community.
Nanthan, originally from Malaysia, came to photography after losing both his parents and his job in aviation. He used this difficult time to focus his attention on his photography, moving to the UK and achieving an MA in photography from the Arts University Bournemouth. His own crises prompted him to explore a broader crisis affecting men more generally as they age and feel uncertain about their place in the world.
The midlife crisis is often viewed as a cliche, involving a man quitting his job and purchasing a sports car. However, this overlooks the individual stories and struggles that many men face. In Nanthan’s works, his portraits show men in moments of release, reflection, and stillness. One subject opens his arms to the sky in surrender. Some stare back at us in defiance, while others look away, avoiding our gaze.
The decision to shoot in black and white eliminates any distraction from colour, allowing us to see the defined lines in the faces and bodies of his subjects. Though he occasionally uses colour to strong effect, introducing a rainbow to one man’s cap brim to reflect the fact that he is queer. Whether shown as strong or vulnerable, each man is given his dignity, and all show us that strength and gentleness need not be separated and can comfortably exist in the same man.
In his ongoing ‘Bodies Without Labels’ series, he focuses on queer identity, showcasing men who are facing both their mid-life crises and the discrimination they often face for their sexuality. He wants them to be seen as individuals, part of the wider community, but also men with their unique anxieties, concerns and challenges they are facing. He is taking men who often feel invisible or that they have to hide a part of themselves, and putting them on show for all to see.
While Nanthan has never turned the lens on himself, we can still see his own story in these men. As a gay man struggling with his identity, with grief and migration, he also feels vulnerable and anxious about his place in the world. It’s something we see in his sitters, and the fact that they reflect his own life makes the works feel more powerful.
In a world that still expects men to hide their emotions and queer people to justify their existence, Nanthan’s portraits are both invitation and challenge. They invite us to see vulnerability as strength. They ask us to see these men as individuals, but also as part of a community, to see their stories and also to ask what of ourselves we see in their journeys. He’s asking us to see these men for who they are, and through them, examine ourselves and our vulnerabilities. These are essential topics for artists to cover, and Nanthan’s is an important voice engaging in them through the medium of fine art photography
You can find out more about Nanthan’s website and his Instagram. All images are copyrighted by the artist.
