Jan Møller Hansen
Being Yourself (Series)
DESCRIPTION
Hijras are culturally defined in terms of their traditional occupation as performers on auspicious occasions, but not all hijras perform. Some hijras see them themselves as neither man nor woman, but there are also many who very much feel and behave like women. Many think that most hijras are hermaphrodites, but that is not true. Most hijras are probably "made" rather than "born that way". Becoming a real Hijra often means going through the emasculation ritual by removal of the penis and testicles.
The Hijras can praise the good qualities of families, but they also can insult them; they can bless one’s house with prosperity and fertility, but they also can curse it with infertility and other kinds of misfortunes. The Hijras are treated with a combination of mockery and fear. The Hijras often engage in homosexual prostitution. Many Hijras are both performers and prostitutes.
The Hijras are some of the most open, honest and direct people that I have met. They are not burdened by social norms as most others. The Hijras portrayed in this series live in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
AUTHOR
Jan Møller Hansen (b. 1964) is a self-taught photographer, who works with visual story telling and social documentary. He has undertaken documentary photography work in Bangladesh, Nepal and South Sudan, where he lived and worked as a senior diplomat, and development/humanitarian aid specialist.
Jan Møller Hansen has won first and second prices for his documentary and photojournalistic work in the International Photographer Awards, La Grande Photography Awards, Fine Art Photography Awards, Monochrome Photography Awards, Neutral Density Photography Awards, Monovisions and other competitions. In 2015, he published the book ”Images of Nepal”, Jagadamba Press, and was recognised as the IPA People Photographer of the Year 2015.
His visual stories and documentary photography work focus on the lives and conditions of poor, marginalised and stigmatised people, living with conflict, displacement, insecurity, injustice, inequality and corruption. All his photography projects share a profound interest in human rights, dignity and the belief that everyone has the right to be recognised as a human being, regardless of social background, family relations, or
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