Nando Messias — Sissy

I’ve been shooting Nando’s development of his performance piece Sissy — part of his practice-based PhD at the Central School of Speech and Drama — over the past year. This week, Nando has been performing the piece (with Biño Sauitzvy) at Central. Last Friday I shot the dress rehearsal for the current run. Pix here.

Schön! 7

London fashion/style magazine Schön! interviews Masumi. Couple of my shots from this shoot last year, and lovely work by David Sims… grab a copy online or off the shelves…

Masumi Tipsy Saito in Tokyo

Masumi has posted some snaps of her performance on 15 Jan at the Art Complex Center of Tokyo. Looks fabulous, and I regret I couldn’t make it over to see the show. In her photos you can also see some pictures we shot November last year to accompany the performance. More to come, hopefully, on her return to London…

Masumi

Yesterday, we took over downstairs at The Book Club for a photoshoot for Masumi’s upcoming exhibition at the Artcomplex Center, Tokyo, in January 2010. You can find the proofs here. Click the image above for a slideshow. Performer: Masumi TIPSY Saito. Hair and make: Yuka Hirata. Very big thanks to Heather and Matt at The Book Club for use of the space.

Nando Messias: Sissy

Over the past months, I’ve been documenting Nando’s development of his performance piece Sissy, which forms part of his practice-based PhD research on the issue of male effeminacy. This week I’ve been over at the Central School of Speech and Drama taking photos of final rehearsals and full dress rehearsal. The show, created in collaboration with Biño Sauitzvy, is brilliant. Last performance for the current run was last night, but keep an eye out of possible future dates. Nando is also performing next Tuesday (6 October) at Bistrotheque, as part of the UNDERCONSTRUCTION season. Dress rehearsal photos here.

The Flower of Stillness

A fragmentary translation of Zeami [世阿弥 元清]’s The Nine Stages of the Noh in Order served as both inspiration and creative headfuck for me during my time in Tokyo. As an outsider to the performance tradition in which it’s founded, The Nine Stages is opaque, yet provocative: the image of the Flower of Stillness — snow piling in a silver bowl — abides with me, and in my work. The Nine Stages of the Noh in Order Higher stages Flower of the miraculous – transcends power of speech and working of mind due to the yugen of a master actor. …