I never realized

Anna-Tia Buss

Beauty standards are tightly linked to our bodies and thus how we see ourselves. What is regarded as beautiful is a subjective notion influenced by culture, gender, and upbringing, and is subject to trends. Even with globalization, beauty standards are constantly changing and differ from place to place. Despite the body positivity movements, the social pressures for our bodies to be perfect and flawless are still deeply rooted in our societies. Historically, this has mostly concerned the female body, but in recent years has become relevant for all genders.

This ongoing project portrays individuals who responded to an open call to participate in the project, sharing their stories, struggles, and journeys to self-acceptance. Through photographs, Polaroids, videos, audio, and written statements, these anecdotes, which often remain unspoken, are made visible for everyone to reflect upon.