ORLANDO GILI / WELLCOME COLLECTION

In his recent commission by The Wellcome Collection, Orlando delved into the experience of male hair loss due to alopecia, in context to perceptions of masculinity and vulnerability. Having lived through the condition himself, he can empathise with every participant, seamlessly transitioning between the roles of photographer and sufferer.

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‘As a portrait photographer, I’m fascinated by human faces and the stories they tell. My own face and appearance held little interest for me. This dramatically changed, however, in 2021 when over a six-month period all the hair on my body fell out. It felt like my face was being rubbed out, my identity erased.

My hair has since grown back, but I wanted to build on this unusual experience by meeting, interviewing and photographing the community of men who have experienced alopecia universalis.

The psychological challenges for men can be huge, compounded by the typically male characteristic of not talking about feelings, even to close friends and family. These portraits and interviews question the preconceptions we have around masculinity and vulnerability, and look to address the destructive male thought processes which exacerbate living with alopecia.’ Orlando Gili