Inspired by the art of turning experiences into creative realities, Diljin Krishnan is a designer in the Handicraft Department at the National Design Centre. Based out of Kannur, this 26-year-old artist recently rolled out a creative project, which he fondly calls ‘The Human Honey’. The concept is an exploration of a male chubby person’s experience of wanting to fill the void within him – the void that, he feels, is because of his body.
Everyday bodies are different. But, it so happens, that unrealistic beauty/body standards have underrepresented real bodies. The male chubby body isn’t viewed as ‘beautiful’ or rather, capable of feeling love, care or lust because of our skewed notion of what a normal, regular male body should look like. The Human Honey photo series aims to bring out these thoughts about body image issues among male chubby persons.
In a conversation with PinkLungi, Diljin shared, “I am chubby, will people like me? One of the common answers you get when you ask this question is that – “Hey, you may be chubby, but you’re cute also”. But in reality, people are not ready to love or lust a male chubby person, which is the actual need of the hour. This is not just my experience. I spoke to many like-minded people who shared the same realities.”
Diljn, who came up with the concept of The Human Honey and directed the photo series, is also the main model in the shoot. He tried to weave a tale that is inspired by his life experiences. Even though the series is a poetic (and dramatic) narration of his story, he knows that many people would relate to it.
“I would often wonder if people don’t like me because I don’t have an athletic body or don’t meet the so-called ideal male body standard. That said, there are a few people in my life who liked me, loved me, and gave me good consideration in the bedroom, but there exists an indifferent attitude towards male chubby people. It’s a fact you can’t ignore,” Diljin added.
The photo series showcases a sense of wanting to feel love. It represents the sadness of a male chubby person who has to seek an external outlet to feel appreciated. Dijin shared, “If I had flowers on my head, I would at least attract birds. Or, if I was a honeycomb, I would have attracted bees. On the basis of this poetic thought, the photo series ‘The Human Honey’ was born.”
The gold that Dijin has worn is representative of dripping honey. He has decked up himself in gold (read honey) to attract people.
Diljin has been wanting to shoot this photo series for the past three years. Owing to his work, which involves traveling from one place to another, he didn’t find the time. It was when his friend and photographer, Basil Paulo, urged him that he finally decided to give it a go. “When Basil told me that he wanted me to be the main model since it was an experience close to my heart, I immediately knew it was the right call. I’m glad he is the man behind the lens of this photo series and he couldn’t have captured my internal emotions better. I was also really happy when the LGBTQIA+ community supported my work. Many models who were part of the shoot were also part of the community. It felt like the perfect collaboration.”
Concept and direction: @diljinkrishna
Photographer: @basilpaulo.in
In frame: @yishnav @_vivek__g_ @amith_a_myth @hru__du_________ @diljinkrishna
Crew: @rohitanand2911
Special thanks: @nijinlightroom @shoshu____
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