Rising star MaryV Benoit is a photographer and performance artist based in New York City. A trailblazer and remarkable creative talent, Benoit’s work subverts the norm and captures honest and vulnerable moments. Her collection of portraits, “You’re The One Who Holds Me Tight”, is no exception. It celebrates the concept of chosen family, focusing on how that manifests within the LGBTQIA+ communities and looks at the stability and breakdown of biological families in the process. Tender and intimate, Benoit captures the raw love and emotion between her subjects. Whether they’re lovers, friends, blood or non-blood relatives, the stillness of the moment captures an honesty rarely seen on film.

Instagram is a direct line into Benoit’s sensational work. There she gives behind the scenes snapshots of her life behind and in front of the camera, as well as insight into her real-life experiences. Alongside her partner Chella Man, Benoit seeks to show what life as a queer person in modern-day America looks like. The dynamic duo are also the face of Calvin Klein’s #ProudInMyCalvins campaign and have worked together on several projects, including the game-changing project The Beauty of being Deaf.

Over the years, Benoit has worked alongside actor and model Tommy Dorfman, Alexis Ruby and Marie Chantal Fonseca for the incredible “Femmes in Italy” series. Her work has featured in Boys Incognito magazine, Vogue Italia and Nordstrom. With a range of projects in the works and her fearlessness to take on topical subject matter, Benoit is an emerging artist worth looking out for.