BOYS OF SEOUL: EXPLORING THE KOREAN MALE INTIMACY
DENIZ AKKAYA
Ryklief shoots film and digital. His series “Boys of Seoul,” an experimental project, celebrates forms of masculinity distinctive to Korea and Asia, which are often overlooked in international mainstream media.
The Boys of Seoul series was imagined with the core mission of shape-shifting the ideas of masculinity in Korea. The project offers viewers a complex, alternative view into the Asian male form, a view that is often underrepresented in mainstream media today. It tells a story of the closeness of male relationships that exist in Korean society, sometimes even through “skinship”, or physical touch.
Through a mix of both film and digital photography, Lindsay Ryklief focuses on celebrating each subject’s individuality, form, and spirit. Set in various locations, the project effectively blurs the lines between the depiction of men’s strength, beauty, and character, unveiling the surreal narrative of each model’s persona and challenging the modern concept of masculinity.
“As the project progressed, I became curious about the narrow way the rest of the world views masculinity and I’m hoping the models and I can re-imagine what masculinity means,” he said about the project.
