One Thousand and One Dreams

Note: This post contains nudity and may not be safe for work, if you are easily offended and/or under 18 please avoid looking at the following pictures.


Married couple Moroccan artist Yasmina Alaoui and Chilean photographer Marco Guerra have created this captivating series called "one thousand and one dreams". Inspired by the legendary tales of A Thousand and One Nights, the photographic series combines nude photography with delicate ink drawings, otherwise known in other cultures as henna.

Here the human body form is treated as a medium for complex geometrical and floral decorations. In some artworks these decorations would gradually disappear to the background. In other works, the decorated bodies stand out in contrast with the plain black background, a method which effectively emphasizes the shadows created by the sensual curves of the human body.

From what I read about the series I am not sure if the bodies were actually painted and then photographed or if they were photographed first and then digitally painted. Either way, the end result is mesmerising and can only evoke a strong feeling of admiration.