'Come Back to Bed' Documents Sexual Reawakening After Abuse

In early 2017, after being sexually assaulted and escaping via a fire escape, Robert Tennent entered a period of celibacy for five months. He attended counseling sessions and slowly started to find solace in the new, intimate encounters he had with men. With their permission, he started taking photos of these men, and captured their stories as he began to rediscover sexual intimacy once again.

Related | Come Back to Bed Explores a Return to Intimacy After Sexual Assault

"I pulled my camera out and took a photo of him," Robert says, talking about the first guy. "I took a few more. I kept these for myself because I wanted to remember that memory and how I felt when I was with him. I then did this to the next boy, and then the next."

Come Back To Bed is Robert's new project; a book featuring the interactions and conversations he had with 13 men following the assault. It is a journey of sexual liberation, and an exploration into raw, human intimacy. Click through for a preview of the new book.

Come Back To Bed is available for pre-order from April 11. An exhibition for the book will be held in Auckland in May.

Photography by Robert Tennent