RIKKE KJÆR KJELDSEN

I'm Letting It Grow
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways of society.

What was first their natural choice of appearance changed into actively choosing to let their body hair grow for Mathilde, Laura, Mathias and Anna. It demands a certain level of courage to show it and become a target of the both positive and negative reactions of others.

But isn’t hair just hair? 

For Jyllands-Posten, with Liv M. Kastrup

Award of Excellence,  Team Picture Story, CPOY 77th, 2022
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»I got anxious that night… I admit it. But then I thought fuck it and turned off my phone in defiance. Some stranger doesn’t get to tell me I’m wrong,« says Mathilde Sara Aramoon (right). A photograph of her with hair under her arms had been shared without her consent in a facebookgroup for the members to vote whether she was hot or not.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways of society.

What was first their natural choice of appearance changed into actively choosing to let their body hair grow for Mathilde, Laura, Mathias and Anna. It demands a certain level of courage to show it and become a target of the both positive and negative reactions of others.

But isn’t hair just hair? 

For Jyllands-Posten, with Liv M. Kastrup

Award of Excellence,  Team Picture Story, CPOY 77th, 2022
The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»You are the reason ISIS exists,« was one of the comments on Mathilde Sara Aramoons body hair.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»If you shave first, we can go on a date,« a guy texted Mathias Elia on a dating app.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»Are you not going to look decent?« Asked Laura Aramoons former boyfriend, as she hadn’t shaved her legs before going to a party.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»I have a lot of respect for people who choose to shave, as long as it is their own choice, and not because they are trying to please others,« says Laura Aramoon.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»Actually I thought LGBT+ people would be more tolerant and respectful, but they have the same beauty standards as the rest of our society, almost everyone is clean shaven,« says Mathias Elia about his experiences with dating apps.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»Do boys really care a lot about body hair?« a 14 year old girl asked the tv-host Anna Lin on Instagram.

The hair growing on our bodies is under close and continuous scrutiny. It must be shaved off, then it must grow wild and free, suddenly it's no longer natural, but unhygienic and for some it has become a political statement against various rules and ways

»It’s just hair, but my experience is that others feel provoked. For society it becomes a symbol of women’s liberation, but for me it’s just a way I present myself, just like everyone else does with clothing and makeup,« says Mathilde Aramoon.

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