Photographer Safi Alia Shabaik is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘Vespertine Beings’. To see Safi’s body of work, click on any image.
VESPERTINE BEINGS: those who flourish after dusk
When light shifts to darkness, personas emerge and move forth into the night. It is in darkness that the world truly comes alive. This body of work explores modern subcultures through themes of identity, gender, and self-presentation/representation. The subjects of this work are individuals who live outside of the norm and use external creative expression – such as costume, culture, performance, ritual, body modification, alter-ego – to reveal their raw selves, foster acceptance and build community. I have always been drawn to anomalies and find true beauty in difference, uniqueness, and what some might consider flaws. I’ve always embraced the “other,” perhaps through a perceived kinship with those deemed outliers, eccentrics, gypsies, artists and/or experimenters. These creative souls are my chosen tribe and it is here that I explore their worlds and share their stories.
All images and text © Safi Alia Shabaik
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By Safi Alia Shabaik
