The Pink Choice
Photograph by Maika Elan Chosen by Yumi Goto
I met the Vietnamese photographer Maika Elan at the Angkor Photo Festival in Cambodia in 2011.The world view that she revealed to me during her portfolio review appealed to me strongly. I had never seen such inspiring and beautiful images depicting same-sex relationships.This image, shot in Vietnam, successfully visualises this couple’s intensely intimate bond.
This photo in particular is breathtakingly elegant and beautiful. It shows how sublime such a loving gesture can be when it is free from conscious and stereotypical conceptions of same-sex love.
Nhat Phong and Ngoc Trung, two male students portrayed in the photo, live along the Red River in Hanoi, and the people there know that they often enjoy swimming in the water. When Elan was starting this photo series, these young men were shy and asked her not to photograph their faces up close.
It seems that, at the time, Elan was not quite aware of what the exposure of this image would bring. After two years of photographing this couple and other same-sex couples she exhibited the series, entitled The Pink Choice. During that period, many things changed for the two, including their surrounding environment.
Just as they appear in this image – in which they are freely enjoying themselves in the river without worrying about the eyes of others – they have grown up as confident and courageous adults. As Elan said of the images, they focus on “the affectionate touches, and more importantly, the synchronised rhythm of lovers sharing life together”. Yumi Goto is an independent photography curator, editor, researcher, consultant, educator and publisher who focuses on the development of cultural exchanges that transcend borders. She collaborates with local and international artists who live and work in areas affected by conflict, natural disasters, current social problems, human rights abuses and women’s issues. She is now based in Tokyo and is also a co-founder and curator for the Reminders Photography Stronghold.