Playmate of the Month

2018 | Photographic series | 120 x 55 cm each

A seemingly never-ending wall of vintage Playboy Playmates stare suggestively into spectators’ eyes, harking back to an era of erotica that today seems faded and bygone. But in stark contrast to their original imagery, the models now mysteriously appear fully clothed, with colorful costumes meticulously hand-painted over each of their naked bodies. The artist recalls stories of his father working during the wartime era of 1980s Beirut, when as a fashion designer it was impossible for him to procure models with whom to test his fashions on. So instead, he came up with an ingenious technique of drawing his designs on pornographic magazines, as the models had seemingly perfect bodies for the trends of the time.


Exhibition views - Yassin Haute Couture, Marfa’ Gallery - photos by Mansour Dib