Love story of the 21st century. Two social outcasts in far, far Indonesia find a way to love each other regardless of their backgrounds: Tira Yohanes Soepomo, a 48 years old transsexual who identified as female, and Dayang, a throw away person, unemployed with no family.

“The two met while living on the streets of the Muslim city of Jogiakarta in Central Java. They shared a life together in a basic six square meter squat that became the centre of their universe. Tira contracted HIV, the deadly virus that hides invisible in the blood, like her ineffable desires and emotions. Dayang loved Tira regardless of the virus; together they shared a lust for life and the courage to be themselves. The couple allowed Luca Desienna into their lives and trusted him to make this respectful and intimate portrait of their relationship. Luca’s photographs honestly penetrate into the moments of their wild, and sometimes raw love making. It’s a passionate portrait of joy and pain, suffering, and ultimately of Tira’s death.”

(taken from Peggy Sue Amison’s essay to the book)

See what power of love can do!

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Photographs: Luca Desienna

Essay: Peggy Sue Amison | East Wing

Book design: Aneta Kowalczyk

Cover: soft, paper + dust-jacket

Format: 137x200 mm

Number of pages: 108

Number of photographs: 69

Language version: English

Print run: 300 copies

Available @ https://blowuppress.eu/products/my-dearest-javanese-concubine

Printing: eM Marcin Dąbrowski, Łódź (Poland)

Binding: Argraf, Warsaw (Poland)

Publication date: July 2019

Publisher: BLOW UP PRESS

ISBN: 978-83-952840-2-1