About the Exhibition
More to me than HIV is a collection of 25 portraits by the documentary photographer Angus Stewart. In this exhibition, each image depicts a person who lives a life beyond their diagnoses of HIV, with the aim to combat the stigma surrounding HIV and in the process uplift both the model and the viewer.
Over the past forty years, the medical profession and community have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people affected by HIV. Today the disease is now preventable, and treatment for it is so successful, that it can play a very insignificant part of people's lives. We now know that a person who is virally suppressed cannot pass on HIV and being ‘undetectable’ helps prevent new infections. This is known as “U=U'' or ‘Undetectable equals Untransmittable’.
The exhibition catalogue and all portraits are available to buy. Proceeds from this exhibition will go to the three charities in supporting those with HIV.
About the Photographer
Stewart is a photographer based in London, who is commonly known for his extensive work with the circus, burlesque and cabaret communities. As he continues to capture people, each work depicts not only the individual but the community that supports them. Stewart says:
“As portrait photographers we ask a lot of the people we photograph. we ask that they trust us to represent their story with accuracy and grace.”
Some of the portraits in this exhibition depict HIV activists, but most are not. For many of the participants, taking part in this exhibition, this has been the first time that they have openly declared the fact that they are living with HIV. Each person photographed chose their own unique way of representing themselves, bringing their own props and picking the portrait that they were happy with. It is these portraits that you will see on the walls of this exhibition.