Stag - Doe - Self
(ongoing series)
Stag – Doe – Self is a collaborative series that emerges from ritual, wildness, and a longing for inner coherence. Rooted in the archetypal energies of the stag and the doe—not as fixed gendered symbols, but as dynamic forces of strength and grace, protection and sensitivity—it explores the rawness of embodiment and the quiet power of presence. Set against forests, rivers, and ridgelines, the work sheds performance in favor of reverence, with each image born from spontaneous acts of movement and deep listening. Nudity throughout is not decorative but elemental—a return to animal, to ritual, to a body unburdened by shame.
At the heart of the series are antlers passed down from my grandparents’ friend, serving as threshold objects—part heirloom, part invocation. As they pass from hand to hand and landscape to landscape, they tether the work to lineage and mystery. Stag – Doe – Self is a mirror more than a resolution, inviting viewers to feel the interplay of wild and soft within themselves. It is also a testament to the artists’ relationship, built on trust, play, and sacred attention. Roles shift fluidly, camera and subject dissolving into shared presence, allowing the work to become not only an exploration of archetypal embodiment but also of relational alchemy—how two beings shape, challenge, and reflect each other into deeper becoming.
