(UN)Ravel an exhibition by DeLovie Kwagala, recipient of Tierney Fellowship at the Market Photo Workshop deals with hidden violence in queer intimate spaces
By DeLovie Kwagala,
A survivor myself, working on this project has brought forth a sense of healing, and the ambiguity in understanding my own trauma and trigger process and that of my participants. Intimate partner violence (IPV) has traditionally been framed within the heterosexual context and little attention and acknowledgement have been paid to the issue in Queer communities.
This current structure of our society is still predominantly organized along patriarchal, homophobic, and heteronormative lines because of how the heteronormative structure of society has created a hostile environment to vigorously deal with the social stigma experienced by the LGBTIQ+ community.
Coupled with the further stigma associated with IPV, this makes victims even more hesitant, not only to report and share experiences of partner abuse but also to self-identify as members of LGBTIQ+ community. As a result of the increased homophobia, alienation, rejection within families and in society, and a lack of confidence in the sensitivity and effectiveness of law enforcement officials to handle the LGBTIQ+ cases, IPV is usually dismissed and denied by the perpetrators and the victims.
Due to the sensitivity, stigma and shame around the topic, my choice for an obscure interpretation is not to cover up, but to try and portray the unseen feelings and emotions, protect identities of those willing to share their stories anonymously and emphasize the real need for the urgency in responding to this topic so speaking up is normalized.
The intention is to unravel the limitations that we set for ourselves to be loved, respected. It is not about finding sympathy for the queers who become victims from the violence of their intimate partners only. Not about photography’s obsessions with stigma. It is perhaps just being with the persons, these simple collaborative moments that we give to us, to share. In this space we allow ourselves to unravel. To be raw, intense, vulnerable, intimate, but more so, aware of the strength of us, and this project, in being more than the political statements.
About DeLovie Kwagala
.DeLovie Kwagala, They/Them; is the first non-binary queer photographer and social activist from Kampala, Uganda. They are self-taught and currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their work explores narratives around Identity, Belonging, Social Injustices, and Gender-Sexuality with the intent to not sexualize, fetishize or stigmatize; inspired by their experience and those of others. They have worked with Facebook, UNICEF, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, Washington post, and many NGOs in Uganda and internationally.
Achievements include; The East African Photography Award 2021, Tierney Fellowship 2021 Grant, CAP PRIZE 2021 shortlist, WomenPhotograph mentee 2021, International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) gender justice reporting fellow, World Press Photo 6×6 Global talent 2020 nominee, the African Photographers Residency 2021 with F2Foto Festival in Dortmund, Germany, New Generation Honorable mention from the PH Museum 2021 grants, featured as 1 of 10 black women photographers to watch in 2021 by PH Museum, Special mention 2020 Single Images Pride Photo Award among others. They have works showing at the World Press Photo & APJD Oldenburg, Germany (2021), Festival de Fotografia, São Paulo (2021), Looks Like Us, Toronto (2021) etc.
They have participated in panels including Black WomenPhotograph Annual Summit, Save Haven, Women Voices Through the Lens and African Youth in The News by the World Press Photo and the Market Photo Workshop in 2020, African Photography Conversations on Portraiture hosted by the CAP Prize, among others.
They have contributed to the online safety training for Journalists’ sessions co-ordinated by the Knight Centre for Journalism at the University of Texas, Austin, IWMF, and UNESCO, DeLovie aspires for their images to evoke relatability, a sense of learning, and unlearning what we thought we knew beyond ‘the obvious visual’. They want to provoke questioning and defiance of the stereotypical narratives that are embedded in our minds, especially about beauty and gender identity antithetical to patriarchal beliefs. – let the world embrace you as you are, regardless –
DeLovie Kwagala, was mentored by Photo: a multi-operation platform for the development and promotion of socially engaged photography practices, photographers and critical visual culture.