Boys With Feelings, Greek photographer Kostis Fokas’s first solo book, is a meditation on the human form, and in particular the nude male body. The balletic, sometimes acrobatic, twisted and intertwined bodies of his subjects interact with each other, with themselves and with the viewer in a singular expressive manner. However, these are not just your usual nude photos. The models remain faceless, save for the inclusion of a few solitary eyes gazing directly at the camera. Their bodies transformed into landscapes — into abstracted mases. Arms become legs, torsos merge into themselves, hands grasp mounds of flesh, desexualizing what could otherwise be considered simply erotic images. How many bodies are in this photo? Where does the one model end and where does the other begin?
In a world sadly accustomed to more and more alienation and isolation, Boys With Feelings celebrates the pure joy and beauty of human connection and touch. Fokas’s playful yet formal approach allows the viewer to share in the intimacy of every moment he captures without the constraints of patriarchal shame and digital detachment. Fokas aims his lens at the body as a site of desire, fantasy, submission and memory.
In his own words: “This project emerged from loneliness, but within that solitude I began to hear myself more clearly. It marks my journey into adulthood — perhaps a bit late, but nevertheless deeply felt.”
