To celebrate International Women's Day we asked Debrief readers what they love about being a woman? It was a tricky brief because as many entrants pointed out the answers are endless!
The submissions had to be either illustrations or photography and apart from that they could be in any medium and format. We had a fantastic response - clearly this is a subject very close to your heart - and picking a winner and runner up took us ages as the standard was so high. Anyway guys, International Women's Day 2018 is here, and the moment has arrived. So without further ado, here's the winner and runner up of our IWD illustration and photography competition.
WINNER - Emmy Smith, 26
'I thought for ages about why I'm proud to be a woman - and there are so so so many reasons. What it boils down to for me is that I am so inspired constantly by the strength, perseverance, creativity, and determination of women. There is literally nothing we can't d*o.' *
RUNNER UP - Hollie Ingram
'The shoot and illustration were originally created for a university project. The shoot was intentionally meant to explore the punk subculture and how it has evolved in modern day. However, during the shoot process it became clear that I was then exploring female beauty standards and empowerment. The model felt empowered after she disregarded previous insecurities and accepted her image. It was also interesting looking at unconventional beauty that isn’t seen in mainstream media (although it has become diverse in recent years) by photographing a model that is deemed as alternative through piercings and tattoos.* *
'Both the photography and illustration are displaying complete liberation and freedom. These pieces are not for the male gaze, but encouraging women everywhere to love themselves and to against the grain of what is traditionally seen as beautiful.'
Well done to everyone who entered!
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.