(un)Masked: Aging + Masculinity

(un)Masked: Aging + Masculinity is an ongoing portrait project by Robert Pierosh that explores the intersection of masculinity and aging in contemporary America. In a culture that often idealizes—and sexualizes—younger, muscular, athletic male bodies, this work turns the lens toward a different reality: the men who are aging, whose bodies are changing, and who may have never fit the traditional mold of masculinity promoted by mainstream culture.

As Robert explains, “I’m getting older myself, and I’ve become increasingly interested in what it means to live in a body that’s no longer aligned with the cultural ideal of masculinity. This project is about embracing that discomfort and complexity, and honoring it with honesty.”

The series captures the raw and unflattering aspects of aging—flesh pressed against glass, wrinkled skin, spreading fat—but does so with an intentional, quiet beauty. The portraits are not digitally altered, composited, or color corrected in post-production. Whenever possible, Robert chooses to exhibit the work at a large scale, allowing the details to command space and demand presence. Through this unfiltered lens, (un)Masked invites viewers to confront vulnerability, physicality, and the often-unseen beauty in the process of growing older.