Student Shortlist

As someone who frequently ran away from their parents’ house, it's easy for me to find a home through intimacy with others. A huge part of my identity has been built around the relationship I have with my peers, so the isolation caused by the pandemic was really hard for me. Feeling so disconnected blurred my self-perception and being incapable of meeting people increased my anxiety and made me unnecessarily self-aware. But being able to portray myself and my environment made the introspective process less painful. Photography allowed me to create a personal document which, voiced in tangible images, eased the burden. Just like a picture, I'm not complete until others see me. As the restrictions adopted to prevent the spread of Covid-19 begin to ease, I can reunite with my loved ones and hopefully start to feel whole again.

Oriel Naxhielly Martins is a queer photographer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He’s 27 years old and works in a small family business. In his free time he is also a model and freelance illustrator. He started studying at ENFO in 2020 when he acquired his first camera, a week prior to mandatory lockdown in Argentina. His first approach to photography centers on documenting his experience as a trans and polyamorous person through self-portraits and captures from his everyday life.