Photographer Claudia Gonzalez investigates Cuba’s transgender community by shooting a series of before and after portraits of individuals undergoing gender reassignment surgery. She has collaborated with CENSEX, Cuba’s National Center for Sexual Education, to explore this highly sensitive issue in her series titled Reassign. Each composition is comprised of two images- one picture of the individual pre-procedure, often in the comforts of their living room, and then another photo of the same individual “after procedure” posing the same way as they did in the first photo. Gonzalez then juxtaposes the photos next to each other to reveal the remarkable differences between the appearances of the individual within the pictures. It is surprising that both pictures were actually taken on the same day and that the differences in genders represented were a result of new clothing, make up and hair styling. The sets do not document the literal year long processes it takes to transition from one gender to the other, but is visually reflective of the individual’s journey. Learn more about Claudia Gonzalez and her project here. 

via Beautiful Decay