Chella Man Covers Man About Town's Autumn/Winter 2023 Issue

“A pillar of my life’s work and practice is to centre the truth and the truth really does set you free. Admitting your faults, limitations and also embracing one’s strength is all encompassed in autonomy. The reality is, I have no control over how my story and honesty is received. I strive to strategically utilise linguistics to create the soft landing I hope for my story to hold, yet much of its interpretation is out of my control.”

Actor, director, activist, filmmaker and performance artist Chella Man has long embodied the representation he lacked in mainstream culture. With March film, The Device That Turned Me Into A Cyborg, he once again opened new dialogue, this time exploring the complex relationship he has, as a deaf person, with his cochlear implant and navigating life between the hearing and deaf worlds. Covering our Autumn/Winter 2023 issue, he reflects on the film’s release, harnessing autonomy, living beyond binary identities and why he’s learning to go easier on himself.

TAXES/DUTIES:

Photography by Lea Duque
Styling by Martin Gregor Jerez
Grooming by Mark Alan Esparza at Kramer and Kramer
Editorial Director Charlotte Morton
Editor-in-Chief Damian Foxe
Editor Andrew Wright
Art Director Michael Morton
Production Director Ben Crank
Producer Isabella Coleman
Production Intern Lola Randall
Styling Assistant Jerald Ramos