Tuesday March 19th, 2024
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Mamas & Muscles

A French photographer working in Egypt recently caught our eye with his unique series of portraits of Egyptian body builders with their mothers.

Staff Writer

Even though we have eyes to see, we rarely use them to their full capabilities. The vast amounts of information that we see and don't process seems infinite. It is for that reason we often hear the saying that "a picture says a thousands words," and why we often refer to photography as art. Enter Denis Dailleux, a French photographer working in Egypt with a passion for people and a desire to connect with them through portraits. The project that caught our eye involves tearing down the tough guy image that many Egyptian body builders embrace, and exposing them as mama's boys, taking portraits of them with their mothers.

The contrast between young and old, strong and frail is interesting but somewhat off putting. Something about muscles and mamas leave us feeling somewhat creeped out and inadequate. Maybe it is the thought that at some point these women had to give birth to these mammoth men that seems unsettling.

If the idea is to capture the shock factor, then perhaps the photographer could have gotten some photos of their mothers giving their baby boys steroids, because let's be honest: juicing culture in Egypt is rampant. However, it does serve arts purpose of invoking reactions, leaving some who will love it, others that will hate it, and many who will just find it confusing and weird. Either way this project puts a humanised face on these gargantuan men many of us often try and avoid on the streets. For more photos, click here.