The twenty-year-old, Paris-based Indonesian photographer Nadine Hanisya was tired of seeing typical, reductive bra ads. Everywhere. You know the ones: they erase the real qualities of a woman, replacing real parts with photoshopped Barbie bits.
Nadine's response takes the form of a recently released photo book, titled Arcenciel, capturing young women in identical black underwear, showcasing true bodies under romantic lamp hues. In all its womanly glory, this is not something you want to miss.
From her site:
"Conformity and uniformity is no longer the norm. Variety and diversity is breaking the standard and making its way to the spotlight. The theme of individuality amidst uniformity in these pictures, emanate the reality Nadine Hanisya chooses to perceive in the world of fashion, music, design—art. She sees no boundaries in beauty that range from different measures such as age, size, and color.
It began from a simple act of seeing a “bra ad” in a magazine; in fact, numerous “bra ads” from numerous magazines. Seeing the unapologetically false representation of the female body in these advertorials, Hanisya felt the need to break this false perception. The females presented in these photos appear to be wearing identical undergarments for the purpose of foregrounding the perception of visual uniformity. In actuality, each female is a distinction of her own. Hanisya hopes to empower women through her art, to realize the socially-constructed reality various institutions have created regarding perceptions of beauty."
Available Indonesia-wide, via Kamboja Press.
Catch Nadine on her Instagram and Cargo Collective.
