Glossy advertisements featuring women photoshopped to death saturate every aspect of our daily lives from magazines to television and billboards. We have been conditioned to accept certain standards of feminine beauty. Ben Hopper’s series ‘Natural Beauty’ aims to question those very standards. The series features stunning women baring their armpit hair, which has become stigmatised as something unattractive or un-ladylike. Hopper explains his choice of material saying “Although armpit hair is a natural state it has become a statement. Why is that? For almost a century we have been brainwashed by the beauty industry, encouraging hair removal. “Natural Beauty” could be classified as a type of protest. By creating a contrast between common ‘fashionable’ female beauty and the raw unconventional look of female armpit hair thoughts are intrigued and a discussion is made.”

Find out more about Ben Hopper here!