Rory Midhani is an explorer into the world of the Berlin darkroom.

His drawings, murals and cardboard scenes take an affectionate, comedic peek into Berlin’s darkrooms, shedding light on that “grimy” unknown that outsiders discuss with excited reverence and ignorance. His pieces are a celebration of Queer cruising culture and the minutiae of Berlin’s unique club landscape. We spoke to Rory Midhani about his art project, Confessions in a Darkroom.

“That atmosphere of potential you find in darkrooms is super enticing to me. A lot of cruising is just waiting around for something to happen. The fact that you’re in shadows the opens up a lot of possibilities for discovery and adventure.”

“Berlin has been a great gift to my queer self. I’ve taken chances in Berlin with the way I present myself that I might not have felt able to take in other places.”

“I’m a little, effeminate transguy, and still get misgendered even after two years on T. But here I can surround myself with people expressing identities outside of binary gender. I get to see trans people celebrated. That celebration of unconventional gender identities is something I like to bring to my work.”

“I don’t feel like what I’m doing is that explicit. I make them because I want to remember a moment, the way I felt in a situation, the people I’ve met who have been special for me. And because, for me, cruising and mad parties are a part of my existence, it’s inevitable that some of this shows in the work.”

“If anything I’d like to make work that is even more explicit! Work that’s darker, weirder, sexier, trippier, and that continues expressing my Queer perspective.”

Thanks for sharing your work with us, Rory. Discover Rory’s latest darkroom confessions on his website and Instagram. If you’d like your artwork displayed on Berlin Loves You, drop us an email at info@staging-berlinlovesyou.kinsta.cloud.