Cherry Blossom

Using medium-format film photography alongside notes, postcards, and other mixed media, non-binary photographer Ryker Allen explores intimacy, emotional trauma, and the fragility of masculinity in their first photo book Cherry Blossom. Ryker tells the true story of a fleeting relationship between two young people by documenting the first time they fall in love and the way their friendship complicates everything. This visual narrative is presented in a uniquely designed accordion-style book.

To accompany Ryker’s intimate first monograph, legendary artist and Boston School photographer, Jack Pierson, a pioneer of the style of photography in which Ryker works, leads a cross-generational conversation about queer love and the lens.

JACK PIERSON

"But as a photographer, don’t you feel like you have both a right and a duty to create a scenario you want? And how come you didn’t say, “Oh, can we get a picture of us kissing? I never got that when we were dating."