One of the most compelling and timely photography exhibitions of recent years is Alexander Kargaltsev’s project Asylum, which explores the lives of gay men who fled Russia for the United States because of the violence and hatred they have encountered in their motherland.
Photographed around the city of New York, the nude youths are poignant reminders of the dire situation of the LGBT community in Russia (and other countries around the world).
© Alexander Kargaltsev
The subjects’ nakedness serves as a metaphor for courage and the shedding of fear in the young men’s pursuit of individual freedom and personal liberty.
A film director as well as photographer, Kargaltsev has been photographing himself and his friends since his adolescence in Russia. The young artist won a scholarship to New York Film Academy and relocated to New York City in 2010.
© Alexander Kargaltsev
Signed by the author, the 56-page photo book is flexi-bound, with text by Stephen Rae and Ivan Savvine. Shipping is free – around the world.
© Alexander Kargaltsev
