If you browsed the Instagram of blonde bombshell, Nadia Lee Cohen, one would likely assume she is a rising model in the fashion world. However, aside from her well-curated Instagram account (which now has over 45k followers), Cohen chooses to be the one behind the camera.
The London based photographer has become increasingly popular within the past year, being dubbed a potential break-out photographer of 2015. Her work is an eclectic mix between hyperrealistic retro fashion editorials and sexually liberating nudes. And when I say nude, I don’t mean a Venus-style refined nude, I mean full-frontal bordering on pornographic nude. (Still not naked-there’s a difference.)
Her most recent work is a photo series called 100 Naked Women. And it is exactly that, to put it bluntly. The massive collection (soon to be published book) is a series of eccentric nudes and semi-nudes that showcase the female form – one of Cohen’s biggest inspirations.
“I felt compelled to create a project where the females involved were not restricted at all in how much of their bodies they chose to reveal. It’s important for me to create a rapport with my models so that they feel comfortable enough in front of the lens to be the authors of their own performances.”
Initially the project took off when Cohen was in the midst of a creative block and she photographed one of her friends just for fun. “I needed to embark upon a lengthy series that would carry me through it. During that time I shot one of my friends naked, as she had just split with her boyfriend and wanted a photograph that made her feel good about herself. I saw how liberated she seemed after the shoot, and this really was the initial driving force for creating the rest of the project.”
Her works are more than just nude photos. They more often than not have a story behind them, or that’s what Cohen wants you to think. She gets most of her visual inspiration from scenes of films, in which she then tries to relay in her photographs, but with her own “Nadia Lee Cohen” twist.
This talented emerging artist is more than just the girl that takes photos of nude women. Her unfettering themes and bright colors read like a more sexually charged, yet equally as talented, Alex Prager.
Click here to see the rest of Nadia’s portfolio and be sure to check her out on social media.
All images courtesy of the artist ©Nadia Lee Cohen
