These lines from Mary Oliver's poem plead us to be who we are with a disarming vulnerability. But what does it mean t when you’re a man? For centuries, masculinity has been shackled by the weight of patriarchy, forcing men to trade softness for stoicism; tenderness for indifference. It’s a conditioning that not only alienates them from their own emotions but also creates a ripple effect, distancing them from the people in their lives.

This is precisely what photo series 'The Vulnerable Man', seeks to unpack. Shot through the female gaze, the series reimagines the male body; not as a symbol of dominance or violence, but as something delicate, soft, and profoundly human. The photos are a striking departure from the usual portrayals of men as invulnerable or threatening. Instead, they capture a quiet, almost fragile intimacy that contrasts deeply with the armor men are often told to wear. The series was photographed by Gayatri Aich and Rikrivu Banerjee, who both create art that revolves around the human body and destigmatizing nudity.

'The Vulnerable Man' juxtaposes fear with love. It asks us to look beyond the societal caricature of masculinity that feeds on power and aggression, and instead, witness a man who dares to embrace gentleness; a man unlearning the lie that his worth lies in how much pain he can endure without breaking or how well he can suppress the 'weakness' of his emotions. Growing up as a boy often means being told to 'man up' and being shunned when you display any femininity whatsoever.

The result? A generation of men disconnected from their inner lives, incapable of articulating their emotions, and often unable to form meaningful, empathetic connections. The same stoicism they’re praised for becomes the very thing that isolates them, also commonly referred to as the male loneliness epidemic. And here’s the rub: when men can’t express their emotions, it’s often the women in their lives who bear the brunt. Their partners, mothers, sisters, and friends are left guessing, shouldering the emotional labor in relationships that feel one-sided. It’s a vicious cycle: men alienated from themselves, inadvertently alienating those who care for them most.

This photoseries flips that narrative. It invites us to see men as they are: complex, layered, and full of unspoken stories. It reclaims the male body from the lens of patriarchy and reframes it through a female gaze, one that finds beauty in the soft, the uncertain, and the vulnerable.

Follow Gayatri here and Rikrivu here.

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