't-fags' is a sensual, defiant book of photographs and interviews with trans men, transmasculine and non-binary people who identify with the term ‘fag’. By reclaiming the historically loaded slur, the series’ contributors embody masculinities that embrace femininity and gender expansiveness; deconstructing expectations of heteronormativity for those who transition gender. The book has already garnered praise from i-D, Dazed, Gay Times, Them, Huck and Polyester.

The project is the culmination of a three-year-long collaboration between photographer El Hardwick and creative director Orion Isaacs, who are also romantic partners. The book features twenty one individuals and real-life couples, who responded to an open call. Hardwick and Isaacs shared an extensive moodboard of homoerotic images with respondents, and asked which they were drawn to reimagining; empowering participants to be active collaborators rather than 'subjects'. Some of the resulting portraits are candid, intimate moments at portraitees’ homes, whilst others are orchestrated images with a cinematic quality that materialise fantasy scenarios participants wished to explore.

El Hardwick is a photographer and multidisciplinary artist based in London. They have exhibited internationally at galleries including The V&A Museum, Palais de Tokyo and Southbank Centre.

Orion Isaacs is a London-based film writer-director and interdisciplinary artist. They’ve exhibited at The V&A Museum, Southbank Centre and LADA. Since 2022, Isaacs's focus has been on writing and directing films, which have screened across BIFA and BAFTA qualifying festivals internationally.

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@el_hardwick @orionisaacs_