Magnum Editions: In Private, Mumbai, India, 2016

In 2016 and 2017, Olivia Arthur traveled to Mumbai, India, capturing identity and intimacy in society in a series named In Private/Mumbai. With growing religious conservatism and the re-criminalization of gay sex, privacy and seclusion were necessary for self-expression, even safety. In the quiet of people’s homes, Arthur captured members of the LGBTQ+ community in undisturbed, frank moments—stripped bare of societal pressure or judgment and in stark contrast to the busy, bustling life of India’s largest city: “Photographing people in their private spaces, I began to find a confidence and intimacy that is ready to be shared.”