Re-Defining Beauty

ReDefiningBeauty

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Aries rules over the head, the face, and our complexion. As a fire sign, Aries naturally generates a lot of heat. This can manifest in both one’s personality or in the body; in the latter, excess heat can show up as inflammation in the form of acne.

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All images are self-portraits, courtesy of Elona.

Elona Beqiraj is a German 23 year-old Political Science student, author, and photographer. In 2017, she published the photo series Redefining Beauty, which aimed to normalise the experience of acne. The project confronts the stigma around skin conditions, challenging societal ideas of beauty whilst opening up a conversation around skin positivity. The media’s portrayal of a singular and exclusive narrative around beauty excludes the vast majority of us who fall outside of this unrealistic ideal.

When Elona started to get acne, she continued to post pictures of herself on Instagram as she usually would. However, she began to receive comments which would either insult her or idealise her for being so ‘brave’. These polarising reactions to her skin is what led to the motivation to create the project, as acne shouldn’t be seen as such a big deal.

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Elona’s other creative projects include a poetry volume and photo zine with German publishing house re:sonar verlag. To keep up to date with her upcoming work, follow Elona on Instagram @unesjomajo.