Asa Johannesson: Portraits of Her

The first time I saw Asa Johannesson's work was at the University of Westminster degree show (2006), Brick Lane, East London. Amongst hundreds of images this series "Portraits of Her" was the only one that really made an impact on me and remains permanently imprinted on my retina. Aesthetics aside, what interests me about her work is her exploration of the notions of self and otherness, particularly with regard to gendered identity. See also Portraits of Him which is a project commenting on and challenging masculinity as a form of identity. The sitters are men identifying as FTM (female to male).

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"Portraits of Her' is a comment on femininity, drawing on the historical role of the photograph as a method of classification. In the nineteenth century photography became a means of defining human faces as classified types. The project is a suggestion of a parallel between the role of the historical and the contemporary photographic portrait. The series aims to challenge classical notions of feminine beauty norms and traditional representations of femininity as portrayed in the photograph. Although stylistically reminiscent of the use of typology as aesthetic, the series comments on and contradicts the notion of the human type. Thus, 'portraits of her' encourages a reading of femininity as a fictitious category, suggesting diversity and challenge to the very order of femininity." © Asa Johannesson

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