Jasmine De Silva "Crystal Queens Miss Universe"
Jasmine De Silva "Crystal Queens Miss Universe" 2021
Photography, Framed
Dimensions: 20 x 30 in, Frame 22 x 32 in
Limited Edition of 10
Signed on Verso, includes a certificate of authenticity.
Jasmine De Silva is a London-based Photographer and Director. Combining retrofuturism, hyperreal aesthetics, pop-art style colors, and diamond-studded female bodies, Jasmine De Silva playfully satirizes the desire for physical perfection, holding up a mirror to our dehumanizing obsession with appearances, aiming to expose society’s unrealistic standards of beauty. Jasmine studied at the London College of Fashion, completing a BA and MA in Fashion Photography. Upon graduating in 2019, Jasmine has won awards for emerging talent in both Photography and Directing. Jasmine was selected as a winner of the 2022 British Journal of Photography Female in Focus Awards. She works as a freelance photographer and director for music videos, commercials, and narrative, and is currently developing her debut feature film.
“Crystal Queens tells the story of our human addiction to body modification and the scintillating trap we fall into as we chase unattainable perfection. In this photo and film series, I aim to emphasize the need to discuss the topic of body image, as it can so often be dismissed as a superficial and surface-level issue in society. This perpetuates how women's issues are often dismissed as frivolous or less worthy topics of discussion. (A man recently assisting on this project said to me that it was a silly little project, without realizing how insulting he was being). Through a retrofuturistic and hyperreal approach, I have created diamond-encrusted characters that live in a fictional world, where the ultimate beauty product crystallizes women's skin. My project is aesthetically bold, employing captivating visual chemistry in the way that advertising does; hiding the negative terms and conditions in sugar-coated plain sight. The crystal skin embodies the absurd lengths we will take to conform to beauty ideals. It represents what that restriction turns us into, as we disconnect from our humanity through commodifying our bodies. We may morph into something alien, inhuman, and unnatural. The application of the crystal skin in real life is a laborious and fascinating process for all involved. Viewers of the images often question if the crystal skin is digitally applied, allowing my project to cross the boundaries of reality. This is similar to how we cross visual boundaries as we manipulate our appearances through digital apps today. There is a constant question of what is real or fake. Everything in these images has been created in reality. As this series has developed, the conversation in the images and film pieces has evolved to highlight how once people attain the perfect image that they have been sold, they are then judged and punished by society and the beauty and media industries in a whole new way. We literally cannot win. The characters have developed to fight against this. As the crystal skin provides them with abilities to take down the judgemental figures in society.” - Jasmine De Silva
Learn more about her artwork on our website.