I was raped when I was a kid. During Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns, I found the courage to finally talk to my psychologist about what happened. Through my PTSD treatment came the idea of using a gloryhole as a COVID-safe way to have sex and to find people who are also seeking intimacy through the security provided by a hole in a wall: to help me heal from my sexual trauma and explore my identity and gender.
At first I was afraid consists of photographs of stories of people I have met through sex work and who have helped me rewrite my relationship with sex.
This series is a tribute to my mentor and friend William Yang, who inspired me to pursue photographic art.