Australian writer Christos Tsiolkas had yet to achieve international fame with his award-winning book and television series The Slap when these two photographic portraits were created in 1998.
But according to Chris Chapman, senior curator at the National Portrait Gallery, John Tsiavis's work captured the essence of Tsiolkas's identity and art.
"I read these images as bringing out the psychological intensity that I think is a characteristic of Christos's writing; the sense of deep thought that is part of his persona," Dr Chapman said.
"They're almost dream-like ... they're very dramatic, they're very theatrical."
Tsiavis, now a Los Angles-based celebrity and entertainment photographer, met Tsiolkas after shooting stills for the 1998 movie Head On, which was based on Tsiolkas's book Loaded.
"[John] had made all of these photographs that were about exploring masculinity, exploring sexuality, that were quite surreal in their feeling," Dr Chapman said.
"These photos of Christos were ... an opportunity to bring those two things together."
The photographic prints were purchased by the National Portrait Gallery in 2009, the year after its new permanent home was opened in Canberra.
Tsiolkas is the author of five novels, as well as short stories, essays and plays which often deal with issues of class, race, family and sexuality.
Both The Slap and his 2013 novel Barracuda were adapted as mini-series for ABC TV.
"I'm a real fan of Christos's work and, as a gay man, his writing particularly from the mid-'90s was really important to me as a way to think through what my identity might be," Dr Chapman said.
"He doesn't hold back but he's also willing to ... make very strong statements about the issues that we face in Australian society [and] about how to live authentically."
