Despite the prevalence of the female nude throughout art history, the subject matter has not often been addressed for women, by women. Within the confines of the male gaze, female nudes, whether they be depicted in paintings, sculptures, or photographs, take on a meaning that typically fails to resonate with women themselves. With her recent book Me+Mine, London-based photographer Alexandra Leese seeks to challenge this long-standing narrative, crafting a series of images that depict women’s bodies on women’s terms.

Leese began her work on Me+Mine in April of 2020, at the beginning of an era that would redefine people’s daily routines in an unprecedented way. Leese, no longer able to venture out and connect with her subjects in person, began lockdown by photographing her own body with the goal of exploring the relationship she had with her physical self. Eventually, she was inspired to contact other women to take part in this series. Ranging from friends to friends of friends, to strangers whom Leese reached via Instagram, Me+Mine became a space that represented women of vastly different backgrounds and experiences. With this project, Leese aims to cultivate an appreciation of these differences, in lieu of the sense of competition that is so typical, and to demonstrate how self-acceptance and finding unity with others are interrelated.

The book features 44 women all photographed by Leese in their own homes via webcam. As the series grew in scope, so did the warmth that comes with a sense of community and mutual support. Throughout months of quarantine, a mounting feeling of isolation combined with the fear and uncertainty stemming from the covid-19 pandemic has created a world of emotional ups and downs many of us have never experienced before. While Leese felt similarly, she managed to morph a disheartening lockdown into a unique opportunity to foster a sense of community, empowerment, and safety among the women she worked on this project with.

Although the photographs themselves possess an understated simplicity, they are also brimming with the calm ferocity of women endeavoring to reclaim their perceptions of themselves. The possibility of collective change has remained central in Leese’s photography, as can be seen from her previous work, which has focused on deconstructing societal expectations based on experiences of gender, race, and cultural identity. With Me+Mine, Leese seeks to remove the female nude from the context of the male gaze, instead of employing it to awaken the safety women feel when nobody’s eyes are on them. Central to each image is the idea that empowerment is not provided by an outside party—empowerment, rather, is born when control is shifted from the outside to within.

Proceeds from Me+Mine will be distributed among three charities selected in collaboration with the women featured in the book: Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, Trans Law Centre, and Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre UK. Order a copy of Alexandra Leese’s Me+Mine here.

Jan 11 Alexandra Leese’s Me+Mine

Jan 12 Hannah Whitaker’s “Lifelike” at Marinaro Gallery

Jan 8 Flash Fiction: Her Last Dance

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