DESCRIPTION

Suzan's portrait is based on a typical "selfie" from today's social media culture. What's interesting about this particular image is that Suzan, whom I met in China and who is originally from Thailand, repeatedly photographed herself in this pose, each time covering her face with her iPhone. This is a trend I've increasingly observed in Asia, and it seems to have taken hold because the woman was either too shy to show her face or felt uncomfortable in the situation, perhaps because she wasn't wearing makeup.

The fact that the background is rather messy—the bed isn't made, or there are still wine glasses from the previous evening on the nightstand—is something no thought is given to it, which led me to rearrange the background.

The fact that the background is rather untidy, with the bed unmade or wine glasses still on the nightstand from the night before, is something I completely disregard.

Suzan posed in this way so many times until she captured the perfect shot for me: her rather narrow waist took on a very feminine contour, crowned by a black leather skirt that perfectly reflected the light, her arms and hands gracefully framed, perfectly mimicking the stereotype of this cliché, and she probably wasn't even aware of how flawlessly, almost masterfully, she mirrored this gesture with her crossed legs.

She then commented on the picture on her own profile with the words: "Be your own muse."