Invisible Illness Awareness - Part 1

In early 2016 my friend Angelah Rose from Christchurch came up with the idea to express otherwise invisible Illnesses in Makeup and Photography.
I started to plan and coordinate this project in Wellington, another colleague does the same in Auckland. So this is going to be a nationwide project. 
This site, however, will showcase only the work of the Wellington team at the moment.
Additional we planned to get those photos printed, exhibited and sold as limited editions, all profits going to a relating Charity.
All our models suffer from some sort of illness which is usually hidden or just not recognized by the people around us. This project is to raise awareness for those illnesses and the problems concerned people are facing in their lives.
We decided to keep this an open project, so everyone can participate in this.
Click here for the Project Facebook Page

---

"Deformed"
Charli has a deformed spine, being more than an obstracle for her to dance as well as for modelling, even it is invisible.

Model: Charli Gartrell
Photography: Werner Kaffl
Art Director: Werner Kaffl
Makeup: Amy Oakes

---

​"Reflection"

Borderline Personality Disorder is difficult to portray and often accompanied by other mental issues. Mine comes complete with depression, ADHD, bulimia, self-harm tendencies, and anxiety. It is consistently inconsistent, varied, and sometimes feels a little like bipolar…other days it feels like depression, anxiety, self-hatred, and narcissism all holding hands in a painful, dysfunctional circle. 

Everything inside of me can be overwhelmed by BPD's distorted reality filter, which descends at times in an internally-directed rage fit or panic, and that crippling self-awareness (which usually grounds me the rest of the time) is rendered relatively useless for sometimes hours or whole days at a stretch. 

The portrait we’ve created is a relatively specific and focused aspect of BPD…it has to be, because there’s a million [more] things it could always say, but rather spotlights this primary problem of seeing oneself and the world around reflected back in different lights and views dependent on something as simple as a mood, another person’s response, or emotional state. To look back at yourself with either convincing ease, hatred, or glowing confidence on a daily rotating basis can be draining, to say the least. 
-Alice Bathory

Model: Alice Bathory
Photography: Werner Kaffl
Art Director: Sophia Sparks
Makeup: Mira-Grace Krishnan

---

"Dancing with Death"

You become aware of dying, of death as a tangible thing that could happen to you. You become aware of how fragile your health is, that though you feel fine, something deadly could just come out of nowhere. You become aware of living, of time wasted on idleness and unhappiness, of dreams not achieved, of feelings not expressed, and potential not reached. It’s undeniable that everyone will die eventually. Some sooner than later. And I am not exempt. Having cancer has brought this closer to home for me. My death at some point is inevitable. I might die in a fiery accident tomorrow, or this cancer demon might decide to pursue me relentlessly into an early grave.

Model: Amy Oakes
Second model: Sam Hogg
Photography: Werner Kaffl
Art Director: Sophia Sparks
Makeup: Amy Oakes

---

"Choice? - Not really"

I decided to make a start on this, with my past as an alcohol addict.
Addiction in general is not, as many people still believe, a bad habit, or a choice, it is an acknowledged and serious disease.
Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs, if not the most dangerous ones, for several reasons.

First, it doesn’t get someone addicted immediately, but over a longer period of time.

Second, the amount of alcohol (or any other drug) consumed is irrelevant. The fact that someone needs it is the indicator for an addiction.

Third, it is socially accepted. With that it is often not recognized for a long time.

Fourth, it’s easily available and always around us, everywhere, which makes it hard to get off it.

Especially concerning alcohol, it’s not a choice, but rather a sliding into the addiction, without even knowing.

For my own story, I started drinking at the age of 15 and kept on doing so for 15 years. Untill I got to a point where I could only chose to live or die. This wasn’t really a choice though, as instinct wanted me to live. This point is now close to 20 years ago, 27/11/1997, 10:45 AM I had my last sip of beer.
Alcohol destroyed my whole life and parts of the lives of those people I love. But I managed to break the circle and start fresh.
I hope this encourages some others to admit their own issues and do as I did, It’s certainly worth it.

Model: Werner Kaffl
Photography: Nate McQuade
Art Director: Sophia Sparks
Makeup: Mira-Grace Krishnan