Venus, 2020
A photographic sticker, uv print on melted acrylic
104 x 160 cm

GURLS is a photographic collaboration between Emilia Pennanen and Linda Lehtovirta. The collaboration draws inspiration from social media platforms. GURLS discusses the symbolism of femininity and uses self-portraiture as its working method. The work challenges photography’s traditional presentation by playfully combining different materials, such as textiles, photographic stickers and melted acrylic prints within its physical installation.

The work is a combination of mixed fragments where beauty, repulsion, and symbols related to femininity, such as seashells, flowers, and slime become intertwined. The work’s self-portraiture is latent within its fragments. The photographs are pointing to the bodily through symbols and signs of the body. The work revolts against the traditional presentation of photography within the exhibition space by aspiring to step away from the constraints of a frame.