While human beings have always dressed ourselves up in clothing or changed our hair in order to make a statement about who we are to the world, there is nothing more telling than our skin. It’s is both the first thing other’s see about us, and what others use to subconsciously or consciously judge us with, and something taboo, hidden, kept secret and covered, often only revealed to those closest to us. The story our skin tells can be very different than the one our mouth does; showing the trajectory of our lives, our gains and losses, our scars and blemishes. Especially for women, the torso is an area that lays bare our true selves to the world, and as we age it is a place we keep hidden. Photographer June Yong Lee has taken the mystery of the torso and laid it out as if it is a map of humanity. Using digital technology, he has created a 2-dimensional view of our skin, and shows us our commonality and individuality through the skin that has held our complex life systems together since we were born. These are uncomfortable photos but at the same time they are beautiful and vital – the imperfections we hide don’t make us ugly, they make our stories come to life. You can pick up a copy of his work in book form, entitled Skin, here.
