In my garden, the trees are changing

Head On Photo Festival 2021

Thanh Vuong

event-detail-person-vertical — Thanh Vuong

This event has concluded

Dates: 19 Nov 2021 - 28 Nov 2021

Location: Paddington Reservoir Gardens 251-255 Oxford St Paddington NSW 2021

Hours: Daily

Entry Fee: Free

Buy the Queertography postcards!

In my garden, the trees are changing represents gay men, their bodies, and their identities.

Historically, the naked male body is far less represented in art than the female, being seen only in the strict descriptives of either the hero or the martyr.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, queer artists explore new depictions of the desiring gaze, male body worship, the erotic pose, and the expression of queer identity.

Not only do these works hold artistic value, but they are also tools in the fight for equality and political and social change. Although much progress has been made regarding social tolerance and civil rights, gay men continue to experience discrimination.

This series is my contribution to the rich tapestry of homoerotic art. In my Utopia, these men exist, unafraid to be seen or heard, and together, they sow and cultivate the seeds of change.

In my garden, the trees are changing was reshown as part of Queertography – a Head On exhibition during Sydney Mardi Gras 2023 for World Pride.

Read the interview with Thanh Vuong here

Want to view this Gallery?

Create a free account or log in to see content exclusive to account holders.

Thanh Vuong

Thanh Vuong is a Vietnamese-Australian artist based in Melbourne. Graduating from the Photography Studies College in Melbourne with a Bachelor of Photography in 2017, Vuong explores themes of gender politics and the representation of queer identities, masculinity and the male body.

In my garden the trees are changing has received state and national awards. These include first prize in the Leica and Ilford Excellence in Photomedia Award 2017 from Melbourne’s Centre for Contemporary Photography. He was a finalist in the British Journal of Photography’s first Open Walls competition in Arles, France, in 2019. Vuong is currently represented by BOYS!BOYS!BOYS!, an initiative of the Little Black Gallery, London, that promotes the work of 65 queer artists worldwide.