‘You Brought Your Own Light’, trans portraits by Allie Crewe

You Brought Your Own Light, a book of transgender portraiture showcasing the work of award-winning photographer Allie Crewe is being published by Axis Projects Publishing this month.

The book is produced by Alan J Ward and brings together 26 of Allie’s revealing transgender portraits, including the image of Grace, a doctor, which won the BJP Portrait of Britain 2019.

A series of 12 of the portraits were initially exhibited in Manchester at an event sponsored by Sparkle, the national transgender charity, and this book now brings the portraits together, continuing Allie’s journey as a political artist exploring social issues of the day using photography to give a voice to those often denied power; becoming a campaigner by giving visibility to other people’s narratives.

You Brought Your Own Light is the first published book of Allie’s work and has been created with the support of Arts Council England and includes words from friend and collaborator Olivia Fisher.

Allie’s new work includes a series of portraits to help change the narrative of domestic violence in conjunction with Safe Lives. She was also commissioned by the NHS for Still I Rise, which celebrated Black History Month, and Unseen Community, a project commissioned by Proud 2b Parents exploring the LGBTQ+ parenting narrative.

Allie Crewe says: ‘Stories of transformation fascinate me, especially when they are women’s stories. I love to photograph teenagers, trans women, women surviving illness or escaping violent marriages. It is not just the physical changes that draw me but how our internal, emotional lives change too.

‘To take a person’s image is, in part, self portrait. I am representing women, exploring their narratives and interweaving them with my own.’

To purchase a copy, visit Allie’s website.

You can watch a film about Allie Crewe and how she works below:

Image credits – Allie Crewe