40

Forty is a portrait project focusing on forty different queer women in and around forty years old.

Subjects will be sourced from within my community. I’ve been reaching out to friends and friends of friends, new and old. Some subjects I know quite well, others are new people to me.

Through this work, I hope to gain a better understanding of my own experience of aging. I’m approaching forty, and while that’s not exactly a big deal, it’s a time to reflect on one’s life so far.

Through my own reflection, I’ve struggled to find examples of women like me in any media. The stories of queer women, both cis and trans, aren’t widely recorded or shared. Queer women past their twenties are basically invisible. My hope is that by talking about the experiences of other women in and around this demographic I can gain some insight into my own experience. By sharing this work, I hope other women are better able to understand their own process of aging.

This work will be shot directly to 8x10 paper in camera and developed as a reversal print, removing the need for intermediate negatives. By using this large a format and removing any digital or enlargement process, these images will show a true and unaltered portrayal my subjects. During the shoot, a short interview will be conducted, the results of which will be shared during any eventual exhibit.

This project is being shot during my fortieth year on Earth at my private studio in Toronto. This work is ongoing, but I’m hoping to be finished by the end of 2025.