This fashion chiaroscuro portrait transforms Hussein Chalayan’s backstage into something akin to an Old Master painting, where harsh directional light sculpts the model’s face into zones of shadow and revelation. The illumination feels intentional rather than incidental — Sükan constructs his own mise-en-scène within the raw immediacy of backstage, elevating a documentary instant into psychologically charged portraiture. The dramatic contrast between darkness and light externalizes the tension of impending performance, making visible the inner pressure before the runway. Though created within an editorial fashion context, the image resists commercial polish, using chiaroscuro not for glamour, but to probe the fragile boundary between individuality and role.
 
Sükan created the series as he was working for international magazines such as L'Uomo Vogue (Italy), A Magazine (France), Crash (France), Faces (Switzerland), and Muse Magazine (Italy) between 2004-2008. He captures the tension and the individuality that remain present at backstages before the models enter the catwalk where they lose their individuality becoming actors of consumerism or objects of art. Sükan momentarily steals these figures - who are preparing for other roles to create his own dialogue and mise-en-scène right before they appear on the actual stage.
Discover this captivating photography that seamlessly combines elements of fashion and figurative art, showcasing an innovative vision.
 
Untitled 25, Hussein Chalayan distills backstage tension into a powerful fashion chiaroscuro portrait where light and shadow sculpt identity moments before performance. A psychologically charged meditation on presence and transformation. Available at The Art Design Project, Miami Beach.