Ray Malone | Disability - Person with with hearing impairment | United Kingdom
Uncanny Waters The Jester of Our Drowned Siblings
The Story behind the Shot:
Ray Malone, a deaf and neurodiverse artist from South London and a member of the arts collective Heads Bodies Legs, created The Jester of Our Drowning Siblings as part of the project Uncanny Waters, which explores water as a metaphor for queerness, memory, and connection. The photograph features Bug, a queer, disabled artist, and was co-created with poet Annie Hayter. Through this image, Ray honours Trans lives lost to violence and erasure, depicting a jester in mourning — a sacred yet defiant figure who holds space for remembrance. The jester’s gold-green, flowered fabric reflects both fragility and resilience, symbolizing how beauty continues to bloom in unexpected places. For Ray, the Global Ability Photography Challenge is a platform to amplify disabled and queer voices, celebrating art that transforms grief into courage and solidarity.
