How to Be a Man examines the cultural construction of masculinity and the systems that continue to shape, police, and perpetuate it. Drawing from theories of hegemonic masculinity—which describe the dominance of a culturally exalted, restrictive ideal that subordinates alternative masculinities—the project investigates how these norms are taught, enforced, and embodied in everyday life. Through playful still lifes, portraits, and visual interventions, I explore the symbols, gestures, and scripts that American society presents as the blueprint for “real manhood.”

This inquiry is rooted in my personal experience as a Black, queer, male-bodied individual navigating environments where masculinity was not merely suggested but demanded. Growing up, conformity to hegemonic masculine stereotypes often felt like a prerequisite for acceptance—a survival tactic within certain peer groups and broader cultural contexts. The expectations to be stoic, strong, heterosexual, and emotionally impenetrable created tensions between who I was and who I was told to perform as. These tensions inform the visual language of the work: objects become stand-ins for behaviors, humor serves as critique, and exaggeration reveals the absurdity embedded within the ideals of being a man.

Ultimately, the project operates as a critical reflection on the limits of gendered expectations and a visual attempt to unlearn the conventions that have defined manhood for generations. Through humor, discomfort, and conceptual play, How to Be a Man challenges viewers to reconsider the stability of masculinity itself.