Layers: A blooming celebration of womanhood through photographic portraiture

For their collaborative project Layers, photographer Asiko, floral designer Jo Wise and makeup artist Jade Soar joined forces to produce a beautiful collection of 20 photographic portraits celebrating the different stages of a woman’s life.

All images copyright: [Asiko](http://www.asiko.co.uk/). Courtesy of Islington Arts Factory.

All images copyright: Asiko. Courtesy of Islington Arts Factory.

Women from various backgrounds, aged between 19 and 90 years, were photographed in front of an evolving flower wall during a three-week period – including a scientist, a Team GB gold medal winner, a journalist, a musician, an artist and a writer. Layers of freshly picked British flowers were added to the wall as the project progressed. The added layers represented the growth and depth of wisdom women gain as life progresses, while ageing flowers indicate the passage of time.

Soar explains: "We've chosen women who – regardless of their newsworthiness – are strong role models for the younger generation."

Wise added: "The common thread that runs through all of the women is their belief in their path and their pride in who they are and what they do. Jade and I are old friends, we had shared views on the adulation of female youth within the media and wanted to work on a project that offered a counter story to that. We wanted to create something beautiful that celebrated all women.

"Asiko is an art photographer who's worked with Jade, and I admired so we were thrilled when he commented on an image that Jade and I had created on Instagram. We immediately contacted him and met up. The concept of Layers was created during that meeting. We all felt strongly about a pro-women project that explored the passing of time, inner growth and how our connection to nature changes as we grow older.

"We selected our models by asking women we admired. We wanted to show real women as they really are, no airbrushing or over-styling. We wanted an authenticity to shine through the portraits, we didn't want a polished look. We wanted faces that could tell a story."

Layers will be exhibited at The Winter Pride Art Awards 2016 at the Islington Arts Factory from 15th to 22nd April 2016. Find out more at www.winterprideuk.com.

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