Photographer Leticia Valverdes creates a project exploring wedding dresses from the past, and their wearers.
I hope you weren’t thinking that royal wedding fever was over… Leticia Valverdes has created a topical project which is certainly an interesting and thought-provoking look at one of the most important aspects of any couple’s big day – the dress.
Photograph by Leticia Valverdes
Wedding dresses can be a reflection of both the bride and current fashions. For this (still ongoing) project, The Wedding Dress, the artist asked women who married more than three decades ago to be photographed wearing their old wedding dresses. Garments carry memories, particularly wedding dresses which are worn at a special time and which can embody the hopes of so many women for their lives and futures. The artist says, “For a few hours this dress, whatever color or design, makes its model once more the center of attention, brings moments of intimacy and memories, dreams and visions.”
Leticia’s work explores notions of identity, self esteem, belonging, memory and dreams and concentrates on interactions with people. She worked with Iniva on London Is The Place For Me in 2007, an exhibition exploring migration through photography and moving image. The exhibition was organised jointly by Iniva and Autograph ABP to mark the opening of Rivington Place and also featured artists Mona Hatoum, Keith Piper and Harold Offeh.
Originally from Brazil, she studied Fine Art at London Metropolitan University. Her work has featured in a number of group and solo shows in the UK and abroad.
The BBC also wrote an article about the project, read it here.