Elska Magazine, a publication committed to spotlighting the bodies and voices of gay communities worldwide, has turned its attention towards São Paulo, Brazil for its latest book. Dive inside and discover a portion of the city’s local gay, bi, queer and trans men, through a series of intimate portraits and anecdotes.

Shot during the tail end of last year, the portraits capture a time when Brazil was starting to re-open and usher in a post-pandemic summer season. As the city held hope for a new beginning, the pent-up queer community began to reemerge and show their colours. Many locals were keen to take part in the Elska project, letting the world discover what Brazil has to offer and declare São Paulo one of the gayest cities on Earth.

 

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“We’ve taken Elska to thirty-three cities around the world so far, but nowhere did we have as much interest among local guys to take part as in São Paulo,” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell.

“People were just so easy-going and proud to share their stories and show their bodies in front of the camera. We chose to visit Brazil for its famed diversity, which we found in spades, but we didn’t expect locals to be so proud of their diverse nation and welcoming community. It makes me proud just to have met them, and I look forward to returning to Brazil one day soon and finding more of what this amazing country offers.”

Irish audiences may fondly remember when queer men of Dublin were the subject of a stunning Elska photo series, and this publication promises as much, if not more reader satisfaction.

The book is divided into eleven chapters, each dedicated to a different participant. The men were photographed in their own homes and neighbourhoods by Liam Campbell, as he aimed to shoot in a spirit of honesty and spontaneity. This issue is arguably Elska’s sexiest yet, with many locals choosing to be captured wearing very little, or nothing at all.

In addition to the photography, each chapter also includes a personal story written by the featured participants. Read as the Paulistas invite you into their lives and the vibrant setting of Sao Paulo, sharing tales of nightclubs, anime, surgery, dancing, and more. 

Elska São Paulo is 212 pages of queer celebration and is available from a select group of shops around the world, as well as their official website. Also available is a special companion zine called ‘Elska Ekstra São Paulo’, containing five additional stories from Brazilian men, as well as behind-the-scenes tales and bonus outtakes. 

To see the list of stockists, visit the online shop, and discover details of the Elska subscription service, visit www.elskamagazine.com.