Tuwid: A Photo Series Depicting the Experiences of Closeted Filipino LGBTQIA+ Youth

• Main Author: Caguiat, Francesca Marie R.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: photography; LGBTQIA+ youth experiences; pastiche; religious paintings; family dynamics; Arts and Humanities; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies; Photography
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2022/arts_da/5; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=conf_shsrescon
• Institution: De La Salle University

The artist-researcher used pastiche and technology incorporated with photography to depict the household experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ youth in the Philippines. Six participants attended a focus group discussion which was used in art conceptualization. They shared common experiences of having internalized homophobia and fear of rejection because of their families’ religious beliefs. However, a few shared factors apart from religiosity such as the parents’ reaction in general and their personal view on the significance of coming out. The photo series applied references to famous religious paintings and the repetition of subjects. Elements of the photos were added to recontextualize the religious paintings to represent the experiences.