photography by Arale Reartes c/o Magali Mgmt
styling by Saskia Schmidt
Models Uzu at NEU 
Happy, Steve & Louis at IZAIO 
makeup and hair by Berenice Ammann
casting by Cameron Niedrick
movement by Leonardo D'Aquino
production by Magali Mgmt 
photography assistant Brenda Vazquez
production assistant Dominik Graf
stylist assistant Denys Sadovyi & Kamal Emanga
Location scout by Marco Wagner

Sofonisba Anguissola, one of the first female Renaissance painters to gain recognition, created a celebrated self-portrait during a time when women were often confined to the role of muses. To avoid openly challenging the patriarchal norms of her era, Anguissola rendered her self-portrait such that it appears as though she, the subject, is being painted by her master.

This photographic editorial draws inspiration from Anguissola’s work and reflects on the persistence of social limitations that, centuries later, continue to relegate women to secondary roles—as muses or caregivers—creating discomfort when we occupy spaces of power and artistic creation.

Just as Anguissola defied expectations through her painting, this photographic self-portrait series by Arale Reartes plays with the ambiguity of the act of portrayal. Although these are self-portraits, the male figures also hold remote triggers, deliberately creating confusion about the identity of the author and the subject. This ambiguity invites the viewer to question not only who the true creator of the image, but also to challenge preconceived ideas about women’s place in art and society.