New Gallery Space
ROGER BAHARI: MASCULINITY
30th April to 1st June 2019
Open eve 1st May 7-9pm
MASCULINITY is a look at masculinity now. It is a series of photographic portraits of men in both traditional and modern roles, to explore how the concept of masculinity has changed as men have adapted to societal change over recent decades, such as feminism, the ideal of the ‘new man’, the masculinity crisis, the new-lad era backlash, and the challenges offered by the changing nature of the modern workplace.
Using production values normally only reserved for the rich or famous, Roger Bahari has sought to capture a diverse representation of men in a deliberately aspirational fashion, to both visually elevate these men to imply a position of importance, and to suggest that they are all equal. Via using visual signifiers to reveal their individual roles in society, Roger hopes to prompt the viewer to question their own concept of what makes a man masculine. Behind every portrait there is a fascinating story to be told, yet collectively the narrative is of men both adapting to and embracing change, and of men clinging to a rapidly disappearing past.
Roger Bahari Biography:
Having studied photography to HND level in the 90s, Roger Bahari reached higher education just as Photoshop came into prominence. He learned the emerging technology quickly and has worked ever since as a photographic retoucher, further honing his craft with every passing year.
Roger’s photography background brings a strong understanding of the properties of form and light, so that his work has a sense of realism that is often missing from commercial retouching. Yet, his desire to create wholly-owned imagery to express himself through art meant that he never abandoned photography as a discipline.
Consequently, Roger has recently returned to higher education to complete a photography degree at the University of Kent, while undertaking photographic work for various businesses. This spring sees his work in his 3rd group show, at the Trinity Theatre in Tonbridge, alongside his first solo exhibition at the Ripley Arts Centre.