This was Adriel's letter of application.
"I started in front if a camera young and found only a fragment of myself within gender stereotypes and typical visionaries. So I left the work, wanting to find innocence in my body and something substantial to say. Returning to subjectivity has been uncomfortable and frustrating, but I miss the reflections of personal, spiritual, mystical uncoverings that I know are possible.
The theme, "nothing but light" ignites a recent feeling I've had about how the feminine craving reclamation outside of the dark and heavy way the maiden is portrayed. I literally titled it "my vagina sees the light" in a journal, referring to how often my legs feel trapped shut or I feel distant from the sort of relationship with specifically the sexual feminine/high priestess, when moving through society. I don't know what boundaries you are working within but I would love to make this the theme of a shoot with you. Release. Complete acceptance of even the unknown. Illumination of self through exploration of good relation to body entirety".
Adriel's statement after the photo session.
"Working with such an amazing artist Anastasia, I was challenged further than ever before to witness the programming of my own idea of beauty. I walked into our shoot accepting all that I thought would be natural and challenging the norm, to receive this moment you see here: splotchy, slouched, even sad, but this is the most beautifultruth! This is what makes people and their bodies sexy. The story. The revealing... Of art at the conscience of our society.
The job of a good photographer to defend your ugliest truth back to you. This is how I feel about my world right now, and this is how the world makes me feel about my body. This is an infinite reflection of the battle happening with #blacklivesmatter and#translivesmatter. This me is a reflection of the mission I live (in) where I can't carry myself with pride unless I want harassment. This is the weight of pains and burdens of secrets that so many women have never talked about and the world inside of me that I try to solve alone, isolated by a system from my people. This is the truth about how far I've come at strengthening my core and being embodied enough to rise from the base of that strength- not in beauty but in grace and honor. The truth about how my heart slouches and ass cowers. This project is amazing and I hope that you are all inspired to help further it with your bodies or contributions! Stay tuned for the public unveiling, and love ya body!"