zameen
Zameen, directed and photographed by Zayira Ray, is a photo series featuring a capsule collection of female body sculptures made in collaboration between Pakistani fashion designer Misha Japanwala and Indian textile designer Aradhita Paramaruspira. The Urdu word “zameen” translates to “land” or “earth” which is the very root of this body of work: through the adornment of intricate body casts made with sustainable biomaterials —specifically mycelium, the vegetative part of fungus— the female body becomes one with Mother Nature, photographed with an unmistakable strength as she rests on a podium of soil. This capsule, from ideation to creation, is made and embodied entirely by South Asian women. With intention and care, our bodies are finally pictured at rest. No longer are there the suppressive, outdated, and toxic restrictions placed on the brown body; it simply exists as it is.
