Body Illusion
In 2017 I put an advertisement on social media that I am looking for people willing to show me their scars and, if they feel open enough - tell me their stories.
Only women responded.
I aimed to show fractured skin as shiny and beautiful as possible, so I covered it with eyeshadow, which gave it a shimmering effect after turning off the lights.
What inspired me to start this project was my own body and the scars I have after two surgeries on my belly.
The idea about the aesthetic aspect of photos came from the thought that we are a part of the cosmos, just like the stars we see in the dark sky.
Women told me about broken spines, tumours, self-harm, stretch marks etc. One confessed that this project helped her realise that her skin issue is less dramatic than she previously perceived.
!["Self-portrait" depicting torso, belly with scars, black and white photograph](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_40ecea53749044b2999b62b2ffd568ad~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_738,h_1034,al_c,q_85,usm_2.00_1.00_0.00,enc_auto/MartaWapiennikMemory4.jpg)
![Black and white photograph of a body with a scar after a spine surgery](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_8bafad83b86249c9b78bded37a7f5c67~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_109,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/body5.jpg)
![black and white photograph of a skin with stretch marks after pregnancy](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_7118504cf24e444d977e82f23c2ade13~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/body6.jpg)
![black and white photograph of a skin with scars from self-harm, a close-up of an arm of a woman](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_0dfb03b84cbf40d5994fa183e7957af5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_111,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/body7.jpg)
![black and white photograph of a scar after surgery, a close-up of a torso of a woman](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_c2c4a3815e4343d09cb0d3e8fe93bcf8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/body.jpg)
![black and white photograph of a large scar on a woman's belly - after a tumor surgery, the scar goes around her navel.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_4f88c0e7a7ee4c0cb7c368a570948f39~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_146,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/body10.jpg)
![black and white photograph of a scar on an elbow, a close-up on an arm](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_798395be45ad44308c07fc03c92aceed~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/body8.jpg)
![a black and white photograph of a scar with a tattoo of a fish head and tail, together they look like a fish remains, skeleton](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_6e1150b3e98f413db5ade43c6ecc071b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_132,h_183,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/rybaMala.jpg)
![13428032_1266083710088901_8304302596290990913_n.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_5e01cea042164899816c54e7b66c3746~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_116,h_85,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/13428032_1266083710088901_8304302596290990913_n.jpg)
First Annual "Fine Art" exhibition, Los Angeles Center of Photography, CA, USA, 2016 (photo courtesy LACP); Juror: Hamidah Glasgow - executive director and curator at Center For Fine Art Photography at Fort Collins, USA
Hanging on the right side is a photograph by Jennifer Lothrigel.
![13443062_10153473156955356_7524073453124876902_o.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_a5a7dc892f664f2fad58f737c1b9fc7b~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_98,h_98,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/13443062_10153473156955356_7524073453124876902_o.jpeg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_7179559b4cbf4d56b1c9c19f549b00eb~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_67,h_89,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/20e4c7_7179559b4cbf4d56b1c9c19f549b00eb~mv2.jpg)
![IMG_20180820_145805.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_841d6642a0a04f90be9fdf0819c20027~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_40,y_507,w_3370,h_3905/fill/w_77,h_89,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/IMG_20180820_145805.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_15cd40bc61de4ff8bee371ad92a80189~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_67,h_89,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/20e4c7_15cd40bc61de4ff8bee371ad92a80189~mv2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_a8b387faa3634205885a2c671665ac6d~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_92,h_32,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/20e4c7_a8b387faa3634205885a2c671665ac6d~mv2.jpeg)
![bergamo5.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_4d176faf1bd64963af2f3198e685b915~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_0,y_286,w_2048,h_765/fill/w_96,h_36,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/bergamo5.jpeg)
International exhibition at the InArte Werkkunst Gallery in Bergamo, Italy, 2017; Special guests were prof. Vittorio Sgarbi (an Italian art critic, art historian, writer, politician, and cultural commentator) and Denis Curti (curator, long-time director of photography, founder of STILL and an author of books on photography).
Photo courtesy of InArte Gallery; fragments from the NOWART Magazine published by the gallery.
![LG-private-view-invite.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_527858ea24b94943b61669933a580765~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_114,h_80,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/LG-private-view-invite.jpg)
![Zrzut ekranu 2022-12-29 o 10.30.08.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_c796098318fb4101ace907bd82c72807~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_50,h_36,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Zrzut%20ekranu%202022-12-29%20o%2010_30_08.png)
Prestigious international art exhibition "The London Group Open 2017" at the Cello Factory - organised by the United Kingdom's longest-running (since 1913) artists' collective - The London Group. Read more about its history here.
Susan Haire, the President of the Group at that time, wrote in the catalogue: "The Open has been the backbone of the London Group pretty much ever since, and today, we are proud that a worldwide reputation - this year we had submissions from 27 countries. "
![certificate IPA 2016 Honorable mention Marta Wapiennik.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/20e4c7_95b3e7e8428c4d838428c0d79a363680~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_93,h_130,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/certificate%20IPA%202016%20Honorable%20mention%20Marta%20Wapiennik.png)