Toronto-based photographer Jamo Best has a powerful portrait series that highlights the discrimination faced by LGBT people in Russia.
Russia’s tough anti-gay stance has led to a ban on education on LGBT issues and culture, and resulted in a widespread crackdown on gay and homosexual behavior, worsening the stigma against an already marginalized group of people.
Best’s series ‘From Russia Without Love’ is an arresting look at the physical abuse suffered by these individuals.
With the help of make-up artists Nicola Butler, Rhonda Morley Causton and Jen Frise, he transformed his subjects into victims of homophobic violence.
The striking images of their bruised and bloodied faces are a horrific symbol of the daily abuse endured by millions of men and women, not just in Russia, but around the world.
Check out some portraits below and view the rest of the series here.
[via Feature Shoot and Monde Mosaic, images via Jamo Best]