Self-Portraits; Unconsciously Inducing a Process of Self-Love

Leeds based artist Alexandra Hayter focuses on self love and intimacy within her work, with this series being a collection of polaroid photos and scans that reflect and engage with a process of self exploration. Alexandra describes the images as being “a documentation of my attitude towards myself, which has developed from a feeling of frustration and confusion to a state of acceptance and self worth.”

Self Portrait Polaroids by Alexandra Hayter

“Every day is lived within the self, although this is not an everyday recognition. I aim to explore myself, focus on how I feel and the subtleties of how I express that. Honesty is a key feature of my self-portraits, each captured with minimal construction. I consider not solely my appearance but emotion too; an image taken just before an afternoon nap, the moment before I shut off the world around me, a used face wipe – removing a mask of sorts. I lay my body bare, strip it down, not with aggression but with curiosity and appreciation.

By focusing on both the exterior and the interior, the process of the self-portraits has been a cathartic one. They have produced a self-love that allows me to come to terms with what is true, without deeming any aspects negative or requiring change, simply acceptance of what is there.”