Charly Walsh is a 26-year-old photographer from Tairāwhiti, based in Ōtepoti Dunedin. His practice is inspired by the layered ways art can capture intimacy, history, and community. Captivated by historic locations, psychogeography, quiet drizzly nights, negative space, and conceptual portraiture, all which weave into his visual storytelling. With each photograph, you are invited to step closer and see the world as he does— where moments, places, and people hold stories waiting to be seen.

‘Photography is a universal medium. It connects us to people, places, and history, by capturing transgender people as we live, love, and express ourselves freely. It serves as a powerful statement: we are here, we have always been here, and we always will be. I’m committed to capturing our daily lives to normalise our existence and to counter the hostile conditions we face as a community. I’m on equal footing with my subjects. I’m fuelled by the remarkable strength and resilience of my family, friends and members of groups I volunteer with. You always learn so much when you choose to give some of your time to helping causes you truly believe in. I hope that my photography can represent and accurately portray their livelihoods and stories’