Struggling to survive financially in exile, these gay and transgender refugees work as escorts in Istanbul, Turkey, a practice often referred to as 'survival sex.'
They find their customers online, on mobile apps, in bars and clubs, and through word of mouth.
Selling sexual services is a reality for many LGBT+ refugees, and is sometimes the difference between being able to eat and pay rent, or sleeping rough.
Sex workers can face exploitation, rape, and even murder.
Prices shown are what the individual charges for various sexual services.
Refugees in the commercial sex industry are most often women, but the culture of sex work amongst refugees has long since crossed into the LGBT sphere. Over the past six years Istanbul has hosted an increasing number of LGBT+ asylum seekers who arrived to the city from Iraq, Syria, Iran, and elsewhere as it became somewhat of an open minded hub for the communities.
The combined struggles of being LGBT, a sex worker, and a refugee result in many of these men and women to live in fear, or become reckless, regardless of the very real threats they face through doing this work.
This series was shot on instant film to allow more control to those in the images, making sure they are comfortable.
The collaborative images confront the viewer with sexualised bodies, prices for their services, and words that describe the past, present or future of those in the images, to juxtapose the image with the person's life.
The final images are reminiscent of the 'calling cards' that frequent phone boxes, seedy bars, etc.