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Cherry Au

@cherryauhoni

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photographer. based in london.

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FAIRYLAND: LOVE AND LEGENDS by @timwalker at @nationalportraitgallery is gloriously uplifting, jolting, moving, challenging, hilarious and so many other good things.

In a sense, FAIRYLAND is Tim Walker's self-portrait as an artist, in that he's unusually open and reflective in the captions about his own experience and his decisions as a photographer. One of the most touching details is a tiny portrait of him wearing fairy wings as a small boy in the 1970s. Many of us will nod with shared feeling when he recognises his long journey to return to this state of full self-celebration.

In its entirety, FAIRYLAND is a deeply sensitive, moving and rip-roaringly jubilant collective portrait of people who have been despised, rejected and ignored, and created their own way through anyway with power and panache. The show begins with the elders whose campaigns decades ago made so much possible for the rest of us. Later, there are portraits of the carers for the first — demonised — generation living with AIDS in the 1980s.

Astonishingly for a national institution, lesbians are centred. A whole room is dedicated to the Rebel Dykes: a collective of Queer women who, in the early 1980s, stood for nuclear disarmament, environmentalism, sex-positive feminism, and HIV/AIDS solidarity. Tim writes in a caption, ‘I knew I needed to photograph them — their power and energy, unapologetic sexuality, and defiance towards a society that had overlooked lesbians’.

My inexpert snaps of the exhibition show some of these magnificent Rebel Dykes and their Descendants photographed by Tim a couple of years ago:
1. Cherry Au (@cherryauhoni) and Lucy Edwards with Jane Campbell.
2. Fisch (@kingfrankiesinatra) with Emily Witham’s hand — you have to see their whole fabulously naughty portrait.
3. the poet Joelle Taylor (@jtaylortrash).
4. Joelle’s history of the word “dyke”.
5. Two great books, one by @smiffsonio.

Normally I would whisk straight through the gift shop. But this time my eye was caught by the books and a t-shirt that declares something TV shows and magazines told us Queers were not meant to have when we were growing up: HAPPY ENDING.

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It’s been so hard keeping this a secret for two years but it’s OUT! I have six (yes, SIX!) photographs in Tim Walker’s Fairyland: Love and Legends Exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery.

I phoned my mum the morning after the launch party and she reminded me of something I had entirely forgotten, that up in the back of her loft are my old sketchbooks from when, aged 16, I studied Art & Photography A-level. Inside those sketchbooks we had to stick in images that inspired us, and several of these were @timwalker shoots that I’d ripped out of magazines and meticulously annotated.

It’s not true what they say about meeting your idols. You absolutely should, because one day they’ll photograph you topless and put it in the National Portrait Gallery.

Thank you to my Rebel Dyke family, the whole team that was involved in the shoot, and thank you Tim, a thousand times over. Thank you for your gentle kindness and utter genius, making these pictures with you was magic. I will treasure these photographs of that hot August day in Rye forever.

#timwalker #nationalportraitgallery #fairyland #rebeldykes

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A GAME OF FLATS by @eleanormaycox [K♥️]

Among us London Dykes, we have many writers, poets & wordsmiths…

Eleanor Cox, our King ♥️, wrote an essay that is published as part of the London Dyke Deck. It explores the social disruptions enabled by card games, the agency of the self portrait, and a nod to the dialogue between @csopie and @ellenkydd as dyke photographers.

Read the full essay as part of the London Dyke Deck publication, available via londondyke.com & in store at @gaysthewordbookshop

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I LOVE BEING A DYKE! 🖤 @thelondondyke

So proud to be part of the London Dyke Deck by @ellenkydd - celebrating the beautiful, expansive community of dykes in London. Inspired by the one and only @csopie ‘s original Dyke Deck!

Being a trans dyke has given me the freedom to question the roles I once inhabited, explore my dyke identity through a trans lens, and embrace a fuller version of myself. It’s an ongoing journey of learning and discovering more about who I am, and finding community with people who make me feel seen and understood.

I wouldn’t normally say yes to being photographed as I’m very camera shy, but this felt like such an iconic moment. Thanks for convincing me El💕

I love being a trans dyke, and I love my trans siblings!

Go check out El’s work and get yourself a deck of dykes from @thephotographersgallery or the longstanding iconic @gaysthewordbookshop

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THE LONDON DYKE DECK

Loved being part of the historic 2026 London Dyke Deck alongside so many brilliant dykes: FEMMES ♥️ BUTCHES ♣️ TRANS ♦️ ENBY ♠️. Created by @ellenkydd this epic artwork features Cathy Opie, who made the original Dyke Deck in 1995, and helps raise funds for Gaysians. Thank you so much for including me @ellenkydd and GO DYKES!! Anyone for poker? ♥️♣️♦️♠️

Find out more at @thelondondyke

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Look at this stunning collection of dykes photographed and captured in an exquisitely produced deck of cards by El Kydd. Last week was the launch at The Photographer’s Gallery where I said a few words. The London Dyke Deck is inspired by Catherine Opie’s original deck, who along with El is featured as a Joker. When I was invited by El to feature as the King of Spades, I couldn’t think of a better way to stand proud in my nb identity. The suits all represent the community in the form of butch ♣️, femme ❤️, nb ♠️ and trans ♦️dykes. The deck for me represents so much of what I love; playfulness, creativity, sexiness, confidence, taking up space and the physical element of something we get to keep and share in real life, with friends, loves and community. The limited edition pack is available @thelondondyke who have kindly offered to donate £2 from the sale of each pack to Gaysians. We have thought long and hard about how best to use this donation. We’ve never received funding and our goal for the last decade has been to act as a bridge between support services and end users, whilst celebrating our stories, fighting for our visibility and our rights. We launched a crowdfunder some years ago which helped keep our website live and providing support to people all over the world. However we’ve decided to use this donation to create a product that we can hold and cherish and pass on. We’ll be sharing more on this soon. For now, thank you @ellenkydd and every dyke that took up space to shine in this fabulous gift for us all. ✨

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Last week we launched the London Dyke Deck at @thephotographersgallery. Ngl, I’m very happily taking my place as Queen of Hearts / Femmes 💅

@ellenkydd’s epic project is inspired by Catherine Opie’s iconic Dyke Deck, made over 30 years ago. To celebrate the new London edition Cathy posed as the joker, which you can see on the screen behind me in pic 2 🔥

Like Cathy’s original deck, the London Dyke Deck brings together dykes from across the community in a celebration of all our differences. There are 4 suits - femmes, butches, trans and enbies, beautiful design by @itsgivingdylan and accompanying essay ‘Game of Flats’ by @eleanormaycox

You can buy a copy via @thelondondyke or @thephotographersgallery. A portion of the money raised goes to support gaysiansorg lead by @reetaloi

Congratulations to @ellenkydd and all the dykes involved ♥️♠️♦️♣️

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What happens at EX’S ends up in the photo dump

Tag your friends, lovers and EXS

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Congrats to @ellenkydd on last nights launch of the London Dyke Deck at the Photographers Gallery.🃏Keep your eye out for the ace of hearts…♥️♣️♦️♠️

For more info on the project visit @thelondondyke

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La bella vita.
In the here and now.
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x Thankyou to my beautiful friends over the last few weeks 💙
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#butchplease (4eva)

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Bday blessings arrived in 3 this year, with planetary alignments, an eclipse and the company of my lovely friends ✨🦁

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