Gerwyn Davies

What began for Queensland based photographer, Gerwyn as a fun activity to do with friends has stretched into a 15-long year pursuit resulting in a dedicated photographic practice. Gerwyn’s love for the outlandish began back in university when him and his housemates enjoyed dressing up and photographing themselves for fun. (Davies 2025b)

Today much of his work is self-portraits, though he is only identifiable by his tattoos leaving his face always obscured.

Gerwyn’s work forms a graceful dance between placing his subjects in an entirely exposing and extravagant stage, whilst also concealing them from viewers entirely. His subjects in turn are allowed the space to be vulnerable.
This is evident in his project ‘Calypso, 2025’ a name with multiple meanings but when traced back to it’s Ancient Greek origins means to conceal and cover. He contrasts this with the modern connotations of summer and fun forming an interesting introspection into queer visibility.

Magpie (Calypso Series), Gerwyn Davies, 2025

“People expect a photographic portrait to reveal something about the subject, and I like to toy with that ... it’s about queer misdirection: I’m inviting attention but then controlling how it goes,” (Davies 2025b).

Bather II (Calypso Series), Gerwyn Davies, 2024

He takes this concept further in ‘Shimmer, 2025’ which leans into the glitz and glamour, capturing 12 gender diverse individuals from Brisbane’s Open Doors Youth Service. Gerwyn worked with these young artists to produce the sculptural costumes each wears, representing themselves whilst remaining visually anonymous, each of their faces obscured. The work has such value in allowing the kids to explore their self-expression in a creative and freeing manner. It celebrates a ‘chosen visibility’. (Brisbane Powerhouse 2025) (Museum of Brisbane 2025).

Shimmer 04, Ace, Gerwyn Davies, 2025

Shimmer 01, Isaak, she/her, Gerwyn Davies, 2025

Using dollar store materials and entirely absurd fabrics, Gerwyn produces unique costumes for each of his photographs. These costumes are closer to sculptural assemblages then clothing, allowing the figure documented to become the vehicle for expression. The works are bold and bright symbolising elements of pop culture and visual puns.

Whilst his works are made to be ironically complex and flashy, there is a strong sense of restraint that I am drawn too. Each of the locations for his photographs are well chosen and lighting strongly considered. Where the costumes are complex the backgrounds and clean and minimal allowing the subject to remain at the focus of each image. This also adds an almost dystopian feel to the works, which is very evident in his series ‘Alien, 2019’ where his costumes are staged against quite industrial sites.