2017 Artist entry

Jemma Rose

Proposal:

I have always been interested in human nature – this includes the way people behave, how we react to things, and the way we are living within limitations set by social constructs. As a young queer woman, I do not fit into some of these constructed ‘boxes,’ that define what I should be like, and who I should love.

Growing up in a South African society, in which a strict gender binary is still very much embedded in our collective consciousness, I found it incredibly difficult to explore my own queer identity. There were times I was afraid to express who I really was, whether it was holding my partner’s hand in public, speaking about queer issues, or simply the way I dressed.

As I grew older, however, I started to question the reasons why people are still stuck in archaic gender roles, and why it was so difficult to break out of them. In this series of photographs, I aimed to subvert common ideas about masculinity and gender expression.

I asked several of my friends who identify as male, to model for me. I then asked them to choose items from a collection of my grandmother’s lingerie, and then to wear them. They could choose accessories such as pearls, fur, or glitter, if they wanted to. As they put the items on, I photographed their emotional reactions – I wanted to capture how their gender expression changed in the presence of hyper-feminine clothing.

Some of them were clearly uncomfortable, while others seemed more fluid, and more powerful. A few felt vulnerable exposing their bodies, and were self-conscious of their ‘flaws.’ For me, this was an experience in which I gained understanding on how damaging the idealization of masculinity is; as well as the personal importance of an individual’s gender expression.

Biography:

Jemma Rose is a young photographer and visual artist from Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been influenced by photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Derek Ridgers, and Olivia Bee. Another important source of her inspiration is contemporary South African artists, such as Zanele Muholi and Lady Skollie. She explores many aspects of human nature in her work, and she focuses on her own personal experiences with sexuality, gender expression, mental illness and queer identity. She aims to raise questions about the way these things are perceived in modern South African society, and explore how these discussions change in different contexts. Her work has been featured in the Youth Arts Massif of Johannesburg’s Exhibition (2016/2017), as well as a photographic exhibition held at FotoZA’s gallery in Rosebank (2017). She has also received special mention for her submissions to the National Eisteddfod of South Africa. She plans on studying a Bachelor of Fine Art when she has completed matric.

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WORKS:

	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:297 W:420 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:297 W:420 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:297 W:420 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE
	Artist: [371] Title: Untitled, 2017 Medium: Photograph Size: H:420 W:297 D: Edition:0 Price:R900	ENQUIRE

Video:

(http://jemtherose.tumblr.com/)
http://jemtherose.tumblr.com/