Art photographs of Muslim queerness
WTF Cafe & Gallery presents “Otherwise Inside”, a photography exhibition that examines a queer world in the Muslim Deep South, from Thursday until Aug 16.
On display will be the “Pondan Under The Pondok” photography series, based on Samak Kosem’s anthropological field research trying to understand queerness in Muslim society in the south of Thailand, where LGBT issues are a very sensitive topic and gay people often cannot reveal their sexual identity.
This series is mainly about the self and representation of being queer amidst Islamic fundamentalism. The photographs were taken during Samak’s field research last year. As a queer himself with a determination to develop his PhD proposal on homosexuality in Islam, he won the trust of many young gay students who allowed him to capture their real selves.
His photography also focuses on the practice of many male Muslim students of “len pheuan”, a term signifying same-sex activities among peers they do not perceive as gay. In this way, they create a sense of brotherhood without ostensibly violating religious precepts.
Young Muslim men in his view interpret religious practices on bodily principles to make them feel less guilty about their sexual desire. The photos reflect this ambiguous definition of male samesex relationships in the paradigm of Islamic schooling.
The opening ceremony is on Thursday at 7pm. WTF Cafe & Gallery is on Sukhumvit 51 and is open Tuesdays until Sundays, 4-10pm.