THE MANY FACES OF HIV
World AIDS Day at Museum of Liverpool
Sahir is Liverpool's largest and longest established HIV charity and this year they wanted to mark the 35th World AIDS Day by showing the many faces of HIV. They asked Laura McCann to help them achieve this and the resulting portraits were displayed from the 29th of November until the 2nd of December at the Museum of Liverpool. You can read more about the project below. Please note, these are not the portraits displayed at the museum as those shots many be shown elsewhere. You can follow Laura on Instagram for regular updates
Photo - Arthur Britney at the Lisbon by Laura McCann taken at the iconic Lisbon in Liverpool
More than just faces
Marc
Marc spoke to me about the light and shade of having HIV. He explained how initially after his diagnosis he felt like his life didn't have hope but that with the help of Sahir he had realised that he could have a fulfilling life. He also talked about how he found peace in nature so we decided to shoot at Allerton Towers making the most of the autumnal sun.
Paul
Paul talked about how Sahir had helped him since his diagnosis.
He remembered going to the previous offices of Sahir and we decided to shoot on the beautiful staircase that runs from the old office to the new to illustrate Paul's metaphorical journey.
Beauty
Beauty thought her diagnosis was a "life sentence" but her consultant and Sahir made her realise that wasn't the case.
She gets a lot of comfort from her three cats and so we decided to shoot at her home where she felt relaxed with her feline friends.
Graeme
Graeme is an active member in the LGBTQIA+ community working hard to break down barriers and change hearts and minds when it comes to the perception of HIV and Autism.
Graeme talked about learning to come to terms with his diagnosis and how he found great comfort in his home environment. He hasn't always lived in a place he felt safe but now he has a flat that is his sanctuary and so that's where we decided the shoot should happen.
Kath
The Georgian quarter in Liverpool holds a special place in Kath's heart.
Kath and I did this photoshoot back in summer when I was helping curate her first exhibition. St James' Gardens is somewhere Kath finds especially calming and so it seemed the perfect place to capture a photo of her at ease.
Matthew
Matthew really wanted to be a part of this project but decided to remain anonymous because of his job. He talked about how much support Sahir offered him and said that he felt most comfortable being in one of their rooms. The other great comfort to Matthew is his beloved dog, so it only seemed right we involved them.
Arthur Britney
Arthur Britney was the first non-binary person to be granted asylum in the UK. No stranger to the limelight, Arthur Britney has performed at several Pride events and feels most comfortable when performing. For that reason we decided to shoot at Liverpool's iconic Lisbon Bar,