The land isn’t binary and neither am I

Kaan K & Angela Christofilou: The land isn’t binary and neither am I

This project, an exhibition at MOMA Machynlleth, was initiated by poet and writer Kaan K, who invited me to create images of them to accompany their poems.

Kaan K's homeland of Cyprus has long been split down the middle, often described in binaries. So too is their gender, externally perceived as man or woman, one or the other. In this exhibition, they ask what it means to exist at the border, to be neither or both.
Acts of creating roots in new places are central to this exploration — from planting a tree in their Welsh back garden, gifted by their Cypriot grandmother, to pouring rosewater into the Dyfi River. These rituals speak to how identity is formed and reformed when relocating or navigating different cultural spaces, exploring the idea that identity isn’t fixed but evolves, reimagining home beyond binaries and borders.

At the heart of the exhibition stood a lemon-scented geranium and a bottle of rosewater, symbols of memory and connection. Visitors were invited to reflect and write about their own experiences of gender, land, and home, creating a space for personal storytelling and shared reflection.

This exhibition was made possible by funding from Arts Council Wales and ran at The Pulpit Room, MOMA Machynlleth, from November 16, 2024, to January 18, 2025.

I have previously collaborated with Kaan to capture their transition into the drag king act Tarkaan for a Queer Arts exhibition online and a feature in The Independent.

Feature / Interview with Buzz Magazine Wales: https://www.buzzmag.co.uk/conversation-with-kaan-k-angela-christofilou-this-land-isnt-binary-exhibition/