BRUNO V. PHOTO BY LIAM CAMPBELL
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QUEER IN BRAZIL
Liam Campbell, editor and chief photographer at Elska magazine, tells us about his new book which shares the bodies and voices of queer São Paulo ) Elska magazine, a publication dedicated
to sharing the bodies and voices of queer communities around the world, has put the spotlight on São Paulo for its latest book.
Shot last November-December, just as Brazil was starting to reopen and usher in a post-Covid summer season, a city full of hope and pent-up queer energy was revealed.
Although a third wave was yet to hit Brazil and the world, the issue’s release comes now at a perfect time as much of the world is seeing brighter days.
Inside, readers are invited to travel virtually to the city and get to know a cross-section of local gay, bi, queer and trans men through intimate photography and personal storytelling.
Many locals were keen to take part in the Elska project, to let the world discover what Brazil has to offer, and to declare São Paulo as ‘one of the gayest cities on Earth’.
“We’ve taken Elska to 33 cities around the world so far but nowhere did we have as much interest among local guys to take part as in São Paulo,” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. “People were just so easy-going and proud to share their stories and show their bodies in front of the camera.
VINICIOS R. PHOTO BY LIAM CAMPBELL
“We chose to visit Brazil for its famed diversity, which we found in spades, but we didn’t expect the locals to be so proud of their diverse nation and welcoming community. It makes me proud just to have met them, and I look forward to returning to Brazil one day soon and finding more of what this amazing country offers.” Elska São Paulo is divided into 11 chapters, each dedicated to a different local guy. These chapters include a selection of photographs by Liam, shot in a spirit of honesty and spontaneity. The men were photographed in their own homes and in their own neighbourhoods, dressed in whatever clothes they want or in nothing at all, revealing their personal style and what’s underneath. This issue
