This shoot was a chance for me to get in touch with my body in a way that surrenders ownership of how I am perceived. In my experience as a straight male, this was foreign to me and a little terrifying but it gave me a much greater appreciation for what Aaliyah does as a model and maybe just a reference point for what women feel when control over their own perception is taken from them. I learned a lot about safety, not just in the context of physical safety but the feeling of security that comes with my own definition myself being unquestioned. Through this experience I felt first hand that that it's not a given, it's a privilege.
-Maceo Paisley
Aaliyah Ei
I am a Xicana model and artist brought up between LA and NYC. Spending most of my life growing comfortable in front of a camera, I’m trying new work subverting my perspective and trying to capture the intimacy I have in my human relationships.
Model: Maceo Paisley