Manceeeeeeep

An art history and archaeology graduate of the University of Paris, Shirin Aliabadi is an artist based in Teheran.

In Miss Hybrid, a series of photographs that she began in 2006, Aliabadi shows a facet of the behavior of young Iranian women today. Veiled young women pose against a black background wearing blond wigs and blue, green or grey contact lenses. Occasional facial piercing and the plasters on their noses suggest recent plastic surgery which has become a fashion "must have" among the new generation of Iranian girls.

Attracted by the diversity of modern consumerism, these in-your-face beauties display their desire to get away from tradition and moves towards the Western system of expression and representation.

Shirin Aliabadi takes her inspiration from everyday life. She finds her models in the streets or local stores of her hometown. It is with a touch of humor that she talks about the veil, religion, and the position of women in the Orient, and the transformations undergone by her country, which are often treated in an austere way.

Miss Hybrid will be on exhibit at Gallery Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris
June 8 - June 23, 2011

Courtesy Gallery Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris

Over 35 years of photo-journalism, French photographer Olivier Martel has discovered many fascinating cultures. He became interested in subjects such as the nomadic tribes of Northern Africa, Ivory Coast fortune-tellers, the Order of Malta throughout the world, malaria across continents, Orthodox religion in Russia, the Cistercian Order in Europe and more.....
Among all these faces that crossed Martel's path, several marked him for life. He was able to photograph women, far from the cliches of fashion. His aim was to show an honest portrayal of each of these women, in their daily combats. He found the same grace among the peasant women of Guatemala as among Khmer dancers or Moroccan fortune-tellers. Today it is this work that Olivier Martel wishes to share.

" Femmes Eternelles, Women throughout the world " is a series of portraits that capture women in their intimate moments, and reveal their unique beauty and individuality.
" Femmes Eternelles " is the 24th exhibition to be hosted by the French Senate on the railings of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. The exhibition features 80 photographs and coincides with the publication of " Femmes Eternelles," by Editions Philippe Rey.