Alexi Lubomirski sheds a light on diverse beauty.
“I wanted to push the idea that the more we showed and celebrated different types of beauty in aspirational fashion photos, the more it would just become an accepted norm.”-Alexi Lobomirski
Inspired by Lupita Nyong’o, Alexi Lubomirski’s current exhibit “Diverse Beauty” is visual heaven. Lubomirski’s photographs from his new book Diverse Beauty, an oversized 200-page monograph: challenges societal norms, showcases beauty from around the globe and literally sheds a light on women whose beauty is often negated from mainstream representations of beauty.
Advertising, marketing and fashion companies spend millions to study the consumer habits of different demographics, and they know that people are influenced greatly by what they see the most. In the media and in print, young girls and women alike are over-saturated with images that showcase ideals of beauty that do not represent them. Rarely is a diverse spectrum of beauty showcased that is inclusive.
Alexi Lubomirski states in reference to shoots that he had with Lupita Nyong’o, “She was a beautiful African woman who had not been, and was not willing to be, ‘whitened’ to fit into the normal beauty paradigms, either by straightening her hair or lightening her skin.” While Lupita’s speech at the 2014 Essence Awards undoubtedly inspired many young girls and women around the globe, Lubomirski drew inspiration for his art exhibit and book from the realization that society’s perception of beauty has a strong, and sometimes, negative effect on the self-worth of many women.
While women who are: darker in complexion, freckled, plus-sized, androgynous or even Albino are oftentimes presented in a marginalized manner or with an extremist tilt, Lubomirski’s body of work presents the likeness of these women realistically.
Lubomirski states “Looking at the pictures taken from those first few shootings, I realized how rare it was that I got to take pictures of beautiful Black, Asian, Indian or Latin women. So, I decided that I wanted to make a body of work that represented a more realistic spectrum of beauty than that which the fashion industry typically presented to us…If a girl was ‘too freckly’, I wanted to flip it and celebrate her freckles. If her hair was ‘too wild’, I wanted to celebrate her hair. If she was ‘too quirky’, I wanted to celebrate her uniqueness.”
Erasing certain types of beauty in the media and in print magazines has been the norm. It’s nothing new and this old mindset of erasure is dangerous. There is nothing more detrimental to a young girl or woman’s love of self, than to look around her environment and not see honest reflections of her own, unique heritage and beauty.
Representation matters and an art exhibit like “Diverse Beauty’’ showcasing truly diverse photographs of beautiful women with a unique essence helps others to unlearn misconceptions about what beauty should be, while simultaneously portraying it as it actually is.
Alexi Lubomirski‘s book Diverse Beauty can be purchased here.
The art exhibit “Diverse Beauty” is on view until Nov. 13, 2016 at Milk Gallery.