Follow The White Rabbit

German photographer Alina Gross teamed up with bodypainter Vanessa Hitzfeld, to create a series fighting stereotypes and social constructs of beauty. Through a colorful palette of colors, they invite the viewer into a dreamworld journey. We had the pleasure to chat with Alina Gross to know more about her fascinating work and this series celebrating raw femininity.

Hi Alina, tell us a bit about your artistic background; How and when did you decide that photography was the right path for you?
Hi Laetitia, thank you for your support and showcasing my work at my favorite plattform Nr.1 “Curated by girls”. I really appreciate it!
When I was 18, I fell in love with the medium of photography.

How would you describe your work in 3 words?
Deep, provocant, juicy.

I want women to feel free and save themselves from the pressure of having a “perfect” body.

Representation of femininity is very important in all your works. What drives you to create?
My inspiration is the human body with its beauty and power, and the female desire. I’m interested in anatomy with a preference to botany. My statement is: all of these processes in and out, are natural and do not have to be taboo.

This series “Follow The White Rabbit” what is it about?
This work is about the beauty of imperfection. You see surreal and real body landscapes with pastel colors and take a trip through the tales of feminine zones. I want women to feel free and save themselves from the pressure of having a “perfect” body.

How did the collaboration with body painter Vanessa Hitzfeld happen?
I love fashion photography as it creates a room for creativity. Well, body painting is similar to clothing, hence the parallel to fashion. Vanessa is a painter and we developed together an idea or color. We have a similar vision as to what our values are. Therefore the cooperation was very symbiotic.

Why did you feel the urge to create a new series celebrating femininity ?
In my work I follow my natural intuition. When I feel the vibe, I create pictures based on these feelings.

To me, there are multi-layer facets to being a woman. Part of me is playful like a child, but I’m also a dedicated mother, and a sexual being as well.

What does being a ‘woman’ mean to you?
To me, there are multi-layer facets to being a woman.
Part of me is playful like a child, but I’m also a dedicated mother, and a sexual being as well.

Being a female photographer, how do you think we can empower other women through a female lens?
The process of emancipation and growth is very individual. Through my work I hope I can be an example for other women to be creative and courageous and to oppose prevailing stigmatas.

Your work is often censored. I remember when we posted the series for the first time, you lost your account…what do you feel about censorship of the female body and especially social media censorship?
It was a shock, of course I remember. On social media are many strange phenomena; there are trolls, cybermobbing, shitstormers… I believe that artificial intelligence from social media platforms often censors images on Instagram and often cannot distinguish between a grapefruit or a vagina. It is taking on absurd traits. Thank you again for your support on this point.

What’s next for you?
Pictures about the origin of the world in my new aesthetical standard.