Sabti, who grew up in Kuwait, revealed in his interview that he was most impacted by societal expectations surrounding masculinity and sexuality. He felt trapped by the judgmental and restrictive environment in Kuwait, which led him to suppress his true self and instead adopt a false persona, reading off a “fake script.” Moving abroad has allowed him to connect more deeply with his inner self, but at the same time, he feels as though he now has a dual personality.

For this model, I wanted his photos to emphasize the concept of a dual personality, where there is always something hidden beneath the surface.