My new photo project, “BEATY MADNESS”, explores modern beauty ideals that distort women, making them look like dolls instead of celebrating their individuality. I want to question these ideals in a satirical way, as our society seems to be growing increasingly weary of them – with egalitarianism and imposed beauty standards.
In truth, these ideals simply reflect the workings of the beauty industry: money is made by exploiting women’s insecurities. Images of “beauty” – whether full lips or an exaggerated bottom – are constantly pushed on us through the media.
Of course, every era has had its own notions of female beauty. Today, though, women are too often portrayed as sex objects. Sadly, many women today have internalized these standards and focus excessively on “improving” themselves. Whether this makes them any happier is another question entirely.
With this color photo series, I want to highlight just how banal and degrading these modern beauty clichés are – clichés that diminish women rather than empower them.