Eva Frankel
Sparked by a joke about “Bristol people with their plaited armpit hair”, my project explores the many facets of body hair. Drawing on ideas of absurdism and conversations I have had around body hair, the pictures aim to dismantle our society’s notions of what is correct or acceptable.
The protocols of how we deal with our body hair make no logical sense, since they change with the times and in different cultures. Yet it is not as easy as just saying “let's all be hairy!” It is all very real, the shame and the pressure to conform, as well as the implications of being different.
Many factors come into play: a person's age, gender, sexuality, race, social and political group, comfort, etc. Our relationship with body hair often represents our journey with self-love and acceptance, and how we want to be perceived. There is no escape from what our body hair says about us – we can’t abstain. It is both a serious issue, and a ridiculous and trivial issue.
Find more of Eva’s work below: