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Maltese Photographer’s ‘Pretty Acne’ Project Is Empowering People With Skin Conditions: ‘Wear It Like Diamonds’

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20-year-old Martina Vella’s uniquely artistic creation raises awareness of skin conditions while empowering those who suffer from acne in the process.

Her project – Pretty Acne – which bears the tagline ‘Wear it like Diamonds,’ started out of an assignment during her university course. A ‘Selfie’ project that had students put their creative strengths to good use. And Martina saw this as an opportunity to create something special.

“My project is about raising awareness of how people with acne are still as beautiful as the models that we see on social media and magazines,” she said.

“I was inspired by the American photographer Peter DeVito, who is known for his inclusion of portraitures of different models. His ongoing ‘Acne Normalisation’ project, which he began in 2017, inspired me to create photographs relatable to those with the same skin condition as I.”

Martina’s photos are a replication of the everyday photographs we usually see on our social media feeds, but with one key exception. That no retouching was done on her face, as the model.

“My main inspiration was of course my journey with acne. Trying to get rid of it, struggling to love myself, people pointing it out, trips to the dermatologist, creams, pills and retouching all of my selfies to feel pretty,” she said.

“When I hit puberty, the skin positivity movement didn’t exist at the time. Everyone around me looked like they had perfect skin without ever even treating their face. Every time I scrolled through social media, everyone had this perfect skin.”

“I started hating the way I looked,” she added. However, with the passing years, Martina become more accepting of her looks. So much so, that she decided to use her experience to help others.

Through the ‘Pretty Acne’ project, Martina delved into a project bearing a profound message, and one that many will undoubtedly relate with and even benefit from.

What do you make of the artwork?

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