Masculinities: Liberation through photography

Did #MeToo manage to "kill the patriarchy" or does toxic masculinity still reign supreme? An exhibition in London explores male self-image in a globally connected era, where gender standards are constantly changing. 

Brotherly Love

If aggression is a key feature of toxic masculinity, it might be skin-deep. The aesthetic of this picture is part of the Taliban self-image. Photographer Thomas Dworzak compiled dozens of such shots in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2001, as the US-led invasion of the country started. The contrast between macho insurgents portrayed by the media and their vulnerable self-image could not be greater.