Exploring the Faces of Masculinity
A Nigerian photographer, Etinosa Yvonne explores the meanings and perceptions of masculinity through a vibrant series of photographs. She collaborated with eight Nigerian men to construct a visual presentation of their masculinity. She dug deeper into their stories by asking questions about their beauty standards, favourite body parts, physical appearances, and the changes in society towards the perception of masculinity. She wanted to encourage open conversations with men about their bodies in which she deemed to be lacking. These photographs and conversations are presented as part of a project she named ‘Unboxed’. This project gets men out of the box assigned by the society that defines their gender identity and the expectations that arise from it. As Zino Asaimage, one of the men featured expressed, “I don’t think it is right to place people inside a box based on their gender and decide how they should look.”
Deviating from her usual aesthetics which have a cool tone and often display monochromatic visuals, ‘Unboxed’ presents more playful and vibrant visuals by exploring colours and patterns. Etinosa felt that she needed to find balance in the way that she presents her work. Her previous work centres around heavy subjects such as conflicts and trauma which transcends through the visual presentation. Although, the change in the aesthetics doesn’t undermine the seriousness of the issue highlighted. The perception of masculinity needs to be evaluated as it excludes so many.
Etinosa stresses how the perception of masculinity in Nigeria is one-dimensional, she says, “the way that masculinity is being perceived in Nigeria is not just tied to their looks, but also tied to the things they do. Although this is an unspoken perception, we can see it. When you have conversations with Nigerian men, you can see that they share the same values - what they think their responsibility is as a man, how they should appear, and how they should be treated.” If a man deviates from this ideology, their sexuality is often questioned. She shares, “one of the men that I had a conversation with shared with me how his friend told him that when they first met, he didn’t want to speak with him because he didn’t understand why a man would wear an anklet.”
However, Etinosa begins to see a shift in how men are expressing themselves. They are becoming true to themselves despite the expectations society has created for them. In turn, they are challenging it. One of the things that got her attention was when she saw a man wearing a pink lip balm in public. That sparked a curiosity that started this whole project. She questions, “why are men stepping out of their comfort zone? Are they starting to reclaim who they are? Is this a temporary shift? Is this a generational shift? Is this a trend?”
Through the conversations she had with the men featured, she learned that there is no one definition of masculinity. Masculinity can be interpreted in different ways by different people. So how can we judge which interpretation is the right one and make that a consensus? Well, we can’t and society needs to be more open-minded.
Acknowledging how controversial this project can be, Etinosa is interested to see it presented in public spaces in Nigeria. She predicts, “I think there will be mixed reactions. Some would be offended and criticise it, others might embrace it.” But that is what ‘Unboxed’ is here to do. It serves as a conversation starter. “It could be a means for debate or for people to reflect,” she says. “It is up to the people to take the time to read into these conversations and decide for themselves what they would like to take away from it.” Instead of conforming to the dominant ideology, ‘unboxed’ encourages people to question and evaluate it. Even if they don’t agree with the alternative representation of masculinity, at least they can respect it.