Eros and Its Discontents spotlights India’s LGBTQIA+ individuals through a series of staged, performative portraits. New York- and Kolkata-based photographer Supranav Dash started the series in 2016 to explore the “psychological minefield” and “crisscross of complexities” LGBTQIA+ people have to navigate in India – which only decriminalised homosexuality in 2018.

The images are shot in a corner of his Kolkata studio and focus on themes and motifs from individuals’ lives. Dash’s portraits are often theatrical in nature, showing people dressed in lavish costumes with unusual accessories. “The resultant images offer a way of freedom of expression, joy and fulfilment for this subjugated community in the hope of empowering them and steering them towards visibility and inclusivity,” says Dash.

supranavdash.com