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#helloboy, October 2021Chris Maliwat’s new book captures people being themselves on the New York City subway. The book is divided into pre-pandemic and post-pandemic sections. ‘It was interesting for me to start seeing individuals in groups choosing to not wear a mask,’ says Maliwat. ‘The social pressures of the pandemic meant groups either were all wearing masks or going unmasked. I guess it’s just another way for people like the woman in this photo to express herself while her companion chooses another path. Subwaygram is published by Daylight Books. All photographs: Chris Maliwat
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#emoji, September 2018‘Many people take the subway solo, so when I get the opportunity to capture people travelling together I do my best to try to find the essence of their relationship. I am close with my mother and family, so I’m especially attracted to the special bond between a mother and her children. In this photo, I was struck by the similarities in body posture and attentiveness as well as the contrast in clothing and facial expression. Combined with the figure from the Coney Island billboard, the three faces appeared to be emoji-like, full of pure emotion’
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#itsoktolook, August 2020‘The pandemic couldn’t take away our ability and need for self-expression and in some ways provided another accessory to help show the world who we are and what we believe in. The bold, matching ensembles of this mother and son duo sit in contrast to the masks each of them chose to wear that day. Often, I think people are yearning to be seen’
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#slurpee, August 2018‘I was fascinated by this pair’s calm and cool demeanour, coupled with their fantastical, technicolor outfits which perfectly matched the subway’s vibrancy. NYC is a unique place because everyone is free to be their truest selves, and bold self-expression on the subway is apparent everywhere you turn’
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#myfairlady, January 2019‘I spotted this lady as soon as I walked on to the train. Her composure and confidence struck me first and I was drawn in by her sunglasses and her heart-shaped hair that helped accent her bold coat colour choice. It might take some guts to pull off this look and she makes it look effortless. It was pure coincidence that the Broadway poster behind her provides an apropos and perhaps tongue-in-cheek title for this photo’
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#movie, June 2019‘I’m interested in taking pictures that tell a story, that get the viewer to feel a sense of motion and narrative. The kinetic energy between this trio always draws me in and forces me to look closer. I like when photographs make you want to know more, ask questions. These short vignettes start and stop each time the doors open and close, with dozens of characters entering and leaving the subway stage to reveal new stories and relationships’
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#turnthatfrownupsidedown, September 2019 In his essay Steadfast, Aaron Morrison writes: ‘This collection of images – moments that are otherwise blips in the expansive history of New York’s public transit system – shows how humanity grapples with daily life, unaware of what the ride has in store. The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 greatly altered our existence. But the subway has to be impervious in the ways that humans are not’
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#upandtotheright, January 2019Chris Maliwat says: ‘I’ve lived in New York for over a decade and often find myself daydreaming on the train. On my commutes, the sound and bustle of the subway disappear as I find myself contemplating my previous night out or my day ahead. I’ve been this woman before – seemingly expressionless, a resolve to melt into your seat and blend into the background. How you interpret her Mona Lisa-like countenance I’ve found to be a bit of a Rorschach test. Melancholy? Exhaustion? Resolve? We all project our own feelings and emotions on the people and worlds we observe’
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#warlock, December 2021‘I found myself in the same position as this woman often, wanting to sneak a breath to regain a little composure and to continue on the journey. As we drifted from the height of the pandemic, these moments appeared less in private’
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#nyccares, October 2021‘The pandemic abruptly changed our relationship to public spaces, and it was apparent on the subway that we needed to recalibrate and adjust to the changing times. Behind the mask, I felt like I was almost holding my breath. I would make bolder expressions with eye contact and my eyebrows to signal safety or fear to my fellow passengers. The subject of this photo appears to be resolute in her expression’
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#StopKillingUs, September 2020‘My heart breaks looking at this portrait, a sharp reminder of the civil unrest that burned through the city at the height of the epidemic. His silent and relaxed gaze – a sharp contrast to his tightly clasped hands and vascular arms – reminds me of the underlying currents that we must endure in addition to the pandemic’
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#LetUs, February 2022‘When I ventured back on to the subway after over a year, I was fearful that I wouldn’t be able to capture the same depth and nuance of expression that I was accustomed to getting. I thought that masks would prevent me from telling the variety of characters or relationships. What I quickly learned, however, was that there was expression to be found in other places – in the eyes and furrowed brow, in the tilt of the forehead, in the body positioning and in the shoulders and hands’
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#ladybugs/#ladyliberty, September 2021In the tradition of street photography, Chris Maliwat elevated these moments of people just being themselves
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#seenoevil, August 2021Chris Maliwat’s Subwaygram is prescient and a rare body of work. A historical record, a testimony of our values, a parable of inequality. He captures moments worth preserving and studying
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