About
"Growing up as a church child, religion was imposed on me as an absolute truth, with the Bible as a guide for every aspect of my life. As I grew and began to discover my identity, I deeply felt the conflict between who I am and the dogmas that had been instilled in me from an early age. In a traditionalist Romanian society, fear and guilt became constants, and religion, instead of being a support, turned into a source of trauma for me. This isn't about religion itself, but about those who forcefully impose their beliefs onto others, weaponizing faith to suppress other people.
For this look, I drew inspiration from the image of Saint Sebastian, a symbol of suffering but also of resilience. The arrows represent each moment the Bible was pushed onto me as a weapon against me, each instance where my mere existence was seen as a problem by those using religion to judge.
Through this performance, I transformed my pain into a message of liberation. Remembering every night I tried to pray the gay away, believing I was broken this performance is my message that I'm finally beyond the trauma, beyond the weight others made me carry. It's a declaration that I am free, free from the shame and hardening forced upon me, free to be whole and unapologetically myself. The look thus becomes a symbol of the power to reclaim my identity."
For this look, I drew inspiration from the image of Saint Sebastian, a symbol of suffering but also of resilience. The arrows represent each moment the Bible was pushed onto me as a weapon against me, each instance where my mere existence was seen as a problem by those using religion to judge.
Through this performance, I transformed my pain into a message of liberation. Remembering every night I tried to pray the gay away, believing I was broken this performance is my message that I'm finally beyond the trauma, beyond the weight others made me carry. It's a declaration that I am free, free from the shame and hardening forced upon me, free to be whole and unapologetically myself. The look thus becomes a symbol of the power to reclaim my identity."
-Nefertiddy Heaven
Credits
Makeup: Nefertiddy Heaven
Hair: Yvie Heaven
Photo: Sebastian Stefan
3D Modeling: Edward Heidel
Shot in: Bucharest, Romania
