We often forget that we are all individually beautiful, often chasing impossible standards of beauty. But recently a new exhibition has opened up which is celebrating the idea of “love the skin you are in” by showcasing portraits of both men and women with rare skin conditions.
The show is called “How Do You C Me Now” and features people of all ages who have been born with rare and untreatable skin issues. The models featured all live with a potentially life-threatening skin condition known as Congenital Melanocytic Naevus, or CMN. It can cover as much as 80 percent of a person’s body, and will present itself with large, dark-brown birthmarks.
Credit: Brock Elbank/Caring Matters Now
The exhibit is supported by UK CMN charity, Caring Matters Now. It has been presented throughout 30 different portrait images. Many of the models who were part of the photo series have not revealed their birthmarks in public before.
It is meant to “challenge conventional perceptions of beauty”, and will run for 10 days at the Oxo Tower Wharf, in London before it goes worldwide.
Credit: Brock Elbank/Caring Matters Now
A Caring Matters Now charity spokesperson said, “People with CMN often feel isolated due to the rarity of the condition and have to deal with negative comments because of their visible difference, resulting in low self-esteem. “How Do You C Me Now?” aims not only to improve the self-esteem of the children and adults affected by CMN, but also to encourage the public to consider how living with visible differences can add to beauty rather than detract from it”.
Credit: Brock Elbank/Caring Matters Now
The 30 photographic images were captured by Brock Elbank, who likes to focus on specific physical features. For example he is well known for his “Beard” series, one that features 80 bearded individuals. It has been seen by nearly 40,000 visitors at Somerset House when it was on exhibition back in 2015.
Credit: Brock Elbank/Caring Matters Now
“In a world where people work hard to stand out from the crowd, ‘How Do You C Me Now?’ aims to celebrate diversity and educate the public about this rare condition,” the spokesperson added.
Credit: Brock Elbank/Caring Matters Now
The “How
Admission is free and the exhibition, which is funded and supported by UK CMN charity Caring Matters Now, will run for 10 days.
Will you be going to see it? Would you be interested in seeing it? Give us your thoughts.
h/t: Pretty52
