Zulfikar Al Bhutto (a.k.a. Faluda Islam) grew up in Pakistan. In Arabic poetry, a deer often symbolizes an effeminate young man. In Brazil, the word deer ('veado') is commonly used as a slang to insult gay men.

Begun in 2017, Jamil Hellu’s ongoing photographic series Hues documents queer individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the artist is based. Against backdrops of saturated Pantone hues, Hellu’s subjects pose in tableaux that reflect their cultural heritage or personal histories. Hellu calls this “participatory portraiture,” as each scene is imagined in collaboration with its subject and titled with an extended caption that adds depth and context.

Hellu has a unique perspective on the intersections between sexuality and cultural identity as an immigrant from Brazil, raised by a Syrian father and Paraguayan mother. He often depicts fellow immigrants to the United States, empathizing with the ostracization many felt while growing up, and using the camera as a tool for social change, visibility, and agency. Hellu’s activism is also infused with campy humor, as he gamely joins his portrait subjects in front of the camera, donning costumes ranging from a monk’s robe to a wetsuit.