VAVA VENEZIA | Selfish Selfies #METOO

“Living with mental illness due to P.T.S.D. can make you vulnerable to many other things like depression, eating disorders, and O.C.D.
The danger is that your fragile self makes you fall into what is comfortable, like Stockholm syndrome, where you become accustomed to abuse because you lost self-love and respect, you become anxious, and can not live with how you get hurt or hurt others.”
– Vava Venezia 2021

Finalist at the International Open Call Competition. A collaboration of Florence Biennale, Art Market Magazine, and Lens Magazine.

VAVA VENEZIA

Vava Venezia was born in Puerto Rico; she graduated from the University of Saint Leo of Florida with an Associates in Liberal Art. Her studies included psychology and political science. She also graduated from Graham Webb Academy with a master’s in color and haircutting. She is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity at Thomas Edison State University.
For the past eight years, she is working as an administrative assistant for a Swedish Multi-Artist, Thomas Dellert.
As an artist herself, she works in the field of Neo-Dada Art and New Surrealism, which reflect her humor and innocence towards life and death.
In her photography, she is a traveler exploring the most intimate moments of a woman reflected in the mirror before her mysterious, mischievous. Still, at the same time, she is lonely, nostalgic, and lost in her labyrinth of dreams. A kind of #MeToo Pop Art, in a traditional way of women artists like Cindy Sherman and Sophie Calle.
This contemporary photo project started as a very secret and personal journey to discover herself through many roles, places, and faces.
During the past five years, Vava has photographed herself as she went through depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts and morphed through different personalities to become today her attempted self, Vava.
With her “Selfish Selfies,” she hopes to be an inspiration to women everywhere, of all colors and cultures, to embrace the beauty in many forms and accept that we can become who we have always wanted to be in life through trauma and pain.

Because gender, race, religion, and countries are created by men, which limits our capacity as humans. It is never too late to love yourself, which is where it has to start.
But also, to be humble and respect what we received as gifts of love such as friendship, family, and soulmate.
Vava Venezia advocates against racism, domestic violence, mental illness awareness (not shame), equal rights, and justice for parents (against parental alienation).

“The problem is when you lack these skills and end up with people who may have gone through the same, from abuser to abuser, this pain is a cycle. Misery loves misery.”
– Vava Venezia 2021

Read the full article in Lens Magazine Issue #81