Distortions of Self

Alessia Lucia

A monochromatic, high-angle close-up shot of a human leg or foot submerged in water. The water's surface exhibits intricate ripples and reflections, while numerous clear air bubbles of varying sizes float around the smooth skin, creating a dynamic abstract composition.

Distortions of Self explores how identity becomes unstable when filtered through shifting perspectives. Using water as both medium and metaphor, the series examines how the body can be visually and psychologically altered, bent, blurred, or stretched, by the surfaces it moves through. Water’s ability to refract light mirrors how perception can distort truth, producing versions of the self that feel both familiar and estranged.

This project builds on an early photographic experiment in which I first explored distortion by photographing a figure through a vase of water. Returning to the concept with greater intention, I focus on eyes and hands viewed through clear containers, creating images that oscillate between representation and abstraction.

Beyond visual effects, the work reflects the emotional strain of being repeatedly reshaped by external forces — the way identity bends under pressure, and what remains when the distortion finally settles.

    About The Artist

    A digital graphic featuring the word 'Inhale' in bold, white, sans-serif letters centered in the upper half. Below it, the word 'Exhale' is displayed in the same font but with a soft, semi-transparent, faded white effect. The background is a vertical gradient, transitioning from a dark slate blue at the top to a light sky blue, and finally to an almost white hue at the bottom, all subtly overlaid with a uniform grainy texture.

    Alessia Lucia

    Alessia Lucia is a photographer whose work explores identity, perception, and the emotional impact of distortion. Through experimental portraiture and abstraction, they examine how external forces shape the way the self is seen and understood. Their practice often uses simple materials to investigate complex psychological states, emphasizing vulnerability, tension, and transformation within the human form.

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