Himboy: the trans shibari artist queering rope across Australia

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Playful, cheeky, curious

Tell us more about yourself?

I am a trans-gender-queer shibari artist, educator and performer that travels around Australia. I educate people on the connective arts, from my main study and love, shibari, to pet play, kink and consent and other bits and bobs.

I also work in the arts, designing lighting and sound for live performances which I adore. I think my sense of theatricality in play comes from that, and I love being able to blend my two worlds together to create moments of Art.

What services do you offer on Sensuali?

I provide shibari education services for individuals, groups and couples, as well as tying experiences and rope bottom education as part of those experiences.

What turns you on?

Playing with the nexus of beauty, desire and sado-masochism – I find it reflects the world we are in, and seeing people open and expose themselves with such vulnerability and trust to that is deeply arousing.

What was your journey into this world?

I started attending events when I was 18, after being recommended to Fetlife by a Tinder hookup. From my first event, I was tied and I was hooked, and from there I tried to find my people.

Attending events, classes, munches and play parties throughout my early 20s led me to co-founding Melbourne Community Rope, the first explicitly queer led and celebratory rope collective in Melbourne, and one of the first in Australia.

While I don’t teach there anymore due to my life taking me on the road, I often reflect on my journey from the 18 year old, to coming out and transitioning while in the scene and what I’ve learned from founding MCR.

What do the first 60 minutes of your day look like?

Snoozing alarms, snuggles with my boy, breath work and coffee.

I’m lucky to have created a lifestyle where my mornings get to be slow (to balance out how hectic my evenings can get), and I try to take time and enjoy that pace.

Why do you do what you do?

I teach and offer experiences to show people how life can be – full of pleasure, slow, deliberate and gentle (or as gentle as is desired).

What is an unexpected pleasure you discovered in your work?

Taking an anti-capitalist and anti-dogmatic approach to Shibari and rope also means that I offer trades, collaborations and sliding scale access to classes, giving more people access to a form that I have found to be so life changing.

Some of these trades have been so soul affirming, showing me that there is a different way to live. Lowering the bar for physically and financial access into the community, and making the community more accessible has been another unexpected pleasure – it was something that I just did (coming across from my arts background), and seeing people from all backgrounds come together and learn has probably been one of things I am most proud of over the last two years.

It is as easy as counting steps into the venue, providing class notes, or just being open to honest feedback from marginalised members of the community.

What should more people know about your work?

I wish that more people knew that rope can be for all bodies – but it does require work, practice and skill.

What’s your superpower?

My memory – I can be shown a pattern once (even by having things tied on me) and can generally remember it, copy it back, take down a note or two and then it is stuck in my brain forever.

It was how I started teaching actually, learning patterns and ties as a model by watching my rigger and those in my class, then going home and practicing on my legs, pillows, chairs and willing victims (I mean participants).

We love vices. What’s yours?

Not related to kink or fetish at all, but a good coffee (strong flat white) paired with a loaded Italian style/deli sandwich on fresh focaccia….there is not a lot I wouldn’t do for fresh bread, meat and cheese.

Otherwise in terms of kink, I’ve been really getting into making pretty boys cry.

The tension between holding someone with care and wiping away tears after being the person to cause them is quite delicious.

Who are your sensual inspirations?

In terms of shibari, Tifereth (Canada) and Tamandua (Berlin) are two massive inspirations – I have been in classes with them both, and find them inspirations in terms of how they queer the form, both bringing it back to sensual and sexual roots while also modernising what shibari can be.

More recently I have been inspired by the art of John Willie, Tom of Finland, and all the amazing queer and trans artists that have taken their work and built on it. I am inspired by those who run the amazing parties that we have here in Australia, and all the educators that take time to educate and lead with kindness and empathy.

Closing thoughts?

As a trans person who has been fighting to create space for myself in the kink scene for over ten years now, we must keep fighting.