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Kyle Meyer
"Interwoven"

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Terry, 2014/2015, Archival pigment print woven with wax print fabric, courtesy of the artist

Artist Statement
In this series, I explore homosexuality in the hyper-masculine Swaziland culture. Due to the fact that homosexuality in Swaziland is illegal, gay men constantly hide their sexuality and suppress their true identity. I set out to find gay Swazi men, who then confided in me and told me of their individual stories. I then made unique head wraps on each of their heads, giving them their own unique outlet to express part of their selves that they regularly hide. It would be taboo for men to wear these head-wraps in public, as that would indicate homosexual tendencies. To produce each piece, I weave together a digital print with traditional wax print fabric—concealing their faces, but exposing their eyes.

Through this series, I aim to channel a voice for these suppressed men, imbuing identity with a sense of pride but without neglecting the reality of their every day existence. I explored homosexuality in the hyper-masculine Swaziland culture. Due to the fact that homosexuality in Swaziland is illegal, Gay men constantly hide their sexuality and suppress their true identity. I set out to find gay Swazi men, who then confided in me and told me of their individual stories. I then made unique head wraps on each of their heads, giving them their own unique outlet to express their femininity and individuality that they regularly have to hide. It would be taboo for men to wear these head-wraps in public, as that would indicate homosexual tendencies. For each of the men I wove over their face concealing their identity but exposing their eyes to confront the viewer as they are hidden behind the fabric. Through this series, I aim to channel a voice for these suppressed men, while embracing an otherwise frowned-upon identity with a sense of pride without neglecting the reality of their every day existence.

Artist Bio
Kyle Meyer (1985) graduated in 2009 with a BA in Photography from The City College of New York. After graduation, he was awarded the Mortimer B. Hayes Brandeis traveling fellowship, which led him to Swaziland. While in Swaziland, he was creative director for Swazi Candles, and also documented the healing practices of the Church of Zion. Photographs from his Zionist project are a part of the Swaziland National Museum and have been featured on CNN. He has worked as a freelance photographer for WSJ, UNDP, Columbia University (ICAP) Action Against Hunger, and Pepfar. Kyle has been a Critical Mass finalist and attended the Eddie Adams Workshop. Kyle is currently pursuing his MFA at Parsons.