The Artist

Vanessa Dewson has a degree in Image Arts: Film Studies from Ryerson University. She is also a Craftsman of Photographic Arts with the Professional Photographers of Canada. After years of being commissioned to photograph weddings and family portraits, she is now venturing on a personal project that she hopes will help build connections and understanding between people from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs.

This thin membrane that covers our bodies and varies only in colour and texture, has been at the root of unspeakable acts against fellow human beings yet has amazing powers to stretch and heal and protect us.

Some prefer to hide it, some to reveal it. Some spend hours removing hair and putting on makeup to enhance it while others permanently mark it with tattoos, piercings and scarification. Some strive to get a perfect tan while ignoring the risks of sun damage yet others use toxic chemicals to lighten their skin. Photographers retouch portraits to make skin look ‘perfect’. Teenagers desperately try to rid themselves of acne then barely a decade or two later start fighting the signs of aging with serums and plastic surgery.

Once she thought about how amazing and unique our skin was and all the stories it could tell, this project came to life. She hopes you will join her to explore, understand and celebrate the stories our skin tells and perhaps we can all be just a little bit happier in our own skin afterwards.

If you would like to view more of Vanessa’s work, please visit her website at www.vanessadewson.com.