“In his staged narrative portraits, Fermariello gives voice to private urges and sensual fantasies that are so often kept veiled from public understanding.”
– Ellyn Ruddick-Sunstein

Arts & Disability Forum, in conjunction with Belfast Photo Festival, are pleased to present Je t’aime moi aussi, a collection of photographic works by Italian photographer Olivier Fermariello. Born from his fascination with the complex relationship between Other and Self, Fermariello uses these intimate portraits to uncover the taboo of sex and disability. The exhibition will launch at 5.30pm on Thursday June 22nd 2017, where the artist will be present to discuss how his photographic lens allows him to develop relationships between formal distance and intimacy, desire and impossibility.

By providing a window into the most intimate chambers of private domestic life, Je t’aime moi aussi is an exhibition that feels both voyeuristic and touchingly familiar. Choosing to confront and dispel the conventional expectation and acceptance of traditional physical beauty, Fermariello engages the viewer with a sexual aesthetic that is rarely seen and frequently denied.

Fermariello captures his subjects both in moments of domestic mundanity, and in moments of erotic fulfilment. With gentle guidance and careful skill, the end results are honest rather than fetishised. Fermariello’s nudes are courageous and proud, curious and provocative, tender and open; they defiantly dare the viewer to question their prejudices, to see what has for so long remained unseen.

With thanks to Belfast Photo Festival for their support and collaboration on this exhibition.