First up THANK YOU to everyone that got involved and entered the MEGA AWESOME JANUARY GIVEAWAY. We had over 150 entries into the competition in total. And judging it was a lot harder than i expected.
In fact it was so hard i couldn’t decide of one sole winner, so have chosen 3 as joint winners!!
As well as that i have chosen a further 6 entries that will all get prints as a prize.
So in no particular order are my 3 winners, i think between them they tick all my criteria, one shows great craftsmanship and dedicated time to make something beautiful, another has a great concept and is both visually striking but challenging and considered, and the third is great fun and has a thoroughness featuring many elements of my work.

First up: Rafael Batista awesome sculptural piece ‘3D INSA puzzle set’

Next: Myneandyours photographic piece ‘Self Reflection is Greater Than Self Projection’

In the attempt to deter unwanted attention away from women, in cultures across the Gulf the Hijab (veil) accompanied by the Niqab (mask) are worn to promote a sense of modesty, privacy, and morality. To the ignorant mind and untrained eye some may view this dress as an oppressive cloak, but beneath this ensemble lies someone considered more feminine than those who reveal all.

Where many women today still remain true to this notion and fully cover their bodies, the irony lies in that nowadays it has become commonplace to see the veil complemented by tight jeans, and a pair of sparkly six-inch Louboutins. The middle-east is enriched in oil and wealth, and has in parts facilitated a culture obsessed with image, perceptions, and of course money.

INSA has on many occasions dealt with the objectification of women, and “Its’ use as a tool that forces us to consider the way in which we dehumanize and commodify women”. Without a cover women are more susceptible to this commodification, and I guess this is inevitable.

It may be uncommonly known that those who adorn this traditional garb are those who are actually the most extraverted of all. What lies beneath is the only true reflection, but appearances inevitably cause prejudices. It brings to light some interesting questions; was the veil historically introduced as a way to deal with the exact issues that INSA tackles in his work today, aligning sexual identity “More with consumerism rather than real human connection”?

Many Muslim women consider the headscarf as a form of feminist expression, as it forces the outside world to judge them based on their character and not their looks. Is this still the case today, or are we living in a more hypocritical culture? Have women objectified themselves in response to our own objectifications? As INSA says “I think as individuals we are a complex mix of contradictions”, and this is what made this project so interesting for me and my wife. 

And so…of all the places I have found myself in the past 12 months, I’m currently in Dubai, where money not only grows on trees but also from the soil they stem from. I purchased the relevant attire from a local store; persuaded my wife to commit to a publically daring feat; and ventured into theZabeel Saray hotel on the infamous man-made Palm Island. I had heard it was overly lavish.

I can see the fear emanating from my wife’s eyes as she made her way to the changing room. She returned, fake eyelashes adorned, sporting six-inch heals, and hiding her new INSA Rainbow leggings beneath the traditional garb. We ordered a Moroccan tea and began setting up. At first glance no one cared to look twice; she was just another in local dress. Once the leggings emerged heads turned, and faces quickly transformed from expressionless to offended. We were immediately pressed for time.

Where the shots may not have been as photographically perfect as I would have liked (I’m no photographer), the reaction said it all. The juxtaposition was a perfect example of the effects of the objectification of women; a perfect example of what happens when women objectify themselves, and a perfect example of not knowing what lies beneath (we should never be too quick to judge).

All in all, an INSA experiment in the unlikeliest of locations, and a night out we will remember for a long time to come.

INSA quotes sourced from High-Heeled Provocateur: An Interview with INSA

By Charlotte Jansen.

And the final winner is: Marqus AKC’Ent ‘INSA-CEPTION (a GIF Film)’

And now the six runners up:

Alex and Mike, 2 chefs from Chicago crated these INSA inspired dishes- first a selection of sushi and second herb encrusted oyster of chicken served on the bone…

Carson Taylor entered a whole music video featuring INSA inspired scenes:

Lon Wenger created the INSA-FY your life filter:

Jeff Blackburn painted this piece inspired by my old ‘Exterior Gloss’ painting:

Melissa got fully painted for her entry:

And Micheal Aji entered this photographic piece featuring Fawnya Frolic:

Well done to all those above for putting in that extra bit of effort! As you can see the levels were high.

Here a selection of some of the others i really liked but i coulnt give prints to everyone, so they didn’t quite make it:

Thank you everyone for getting involved!

Keep watching out for future giveaways!