The human figure has long been an inspiration for art. The nude first became significant in art in Ancient Greece. Sculptures, traditionally male, were made to honour athletes and highlight their amazing physiques. In contrast, female nudes tended to represent fertility and nurturing. These sculptures were beautiful and are still celebrated works of art. However, their bodies tended to have idealized proportions and exaggerated forms. For this series, I mapped the human body; exploring diverse angles and individual body parts. I wanted to take a different approach to nude portraiture; I draped the fabric over each body and developed contorted poses to create dynamic and alluring photographs.

By keeping the models faces out of the image and removing any personal markers, the focus remained on the body and the shapes being formed. The idea of covering the models entirely removed their defining characteristics from the portraits. Nudes are some of the most intimate form of portraits, and by removing the individual I was also bringing the private nature of nude portraiture into question. I wanted the viewer to question the way we as a society observe and view the human body.

Unlike traditional Greek sculptures, I was not trying to depict an idealized body or form. I used models of contrasting shapes and sizes and was not concerned about capturing them from an unappealing angle.

In addition to focusing on the form and shape of the body, I was interested in the folds and contours created when draping the fabric. The drapery itself became an important part of this series, equal to the role of the model.