POS.SE

ISSUE 1
Emotional
Makeup
featuring
Annistasia
Chandler
pos.se

DEStructive
REJECT
empty
RUSHED
SOUL
APEthetic
TameD
impassioned
paSSION
kind
GUILTY
vulnerable
AROUSED
DePRESSIVE
POSSESSED
thankful
anxiouS

Emotional Makeup
While casually chatting
with my friend Annistasia
Chandler, we ended
up confessing to each
other our experiences
as Women. We debated
about our bodies, insecurities,
but what glued
to us the most was the
confession that each of
us endured abortions and
miscarriages – what almost,
if not all, women
fear and feel ashamed of.
It may have started as
a very intimate and
personal talk between
friends, however, the
issue developed into
something much greater
than we could had ever
imagined. Both of us
realized we could narrate
a portion of our stories
through the passion that
we share.
But how would this
be done? Is it possible
to get our art tools to
reach such a point where
someone could actually
read what it was being
told?
Yes. Yes, it is.
And we realized we
were not the first people
to do this. It has become
very common for makeup
and hair artists to
use social platforms to
bring awareness to real
life problems while turning
their faces and bodies
into canvas. Artists
such as Alex Box, Ryan
Payne and Bryttannee
Eaton have previously
had the courage to share
their stories and produce
pieces of art which aim
to allow people to relate
and debate emotions and
mental health in any way
they can.

Text Interview
With Annistasia Chandler
Thank you so much for being
part of this project. It was wonderful
working with you, not only
as a friend but also as an artist.
Your work and experience mean
a lot to me and that is why I
wanted you to be featured in this
issue. And, such as, I would like
to start by asking how it felt to be
on the other side? More specifically,
as the canvas not the artist.
Annistasia: It felt odd as I’m terrible
in front of a camera, but I was
really interested in the project, it’s a
matter super close to my heart.
And it is very brave of you to tell
a bit of your story, which you
chose to narrate through yellow
and green neon colours. Please,
tell us why you relate those colours
to the emotions you felt in
the past.
A: I had emergency sections with
both my children. No one tells you
that actually things do go wrong
sometimes. I was in life threatening
condition with my first, and
for my second my son, he was the
one in danger. For me, the colours
that represented those emotions
were the neon greens and yellow.
Nature’s warning colours. Exciting
and alluring, but at times dangerous
too.
And because of what happened
to both you and your son, would
you consider that a line was defined
between your individuality
– as a mother and woman – and
your artistry? Or do you actually
consider that both aspects of you
correlate with each other?
A: I think my defining point as a
mother was when I learnt to forgive
myself and my body. Between my
children I had a miscarriage at 12
weeks - the “safe” point. I’d never
felt such hatred towards my own
body. My first born was premature,
my body failed me, but my second
was my healing birth. Although it
was a section, I’d laboured for 19
hours and given it my best shot.
My body who had housed three but
only held two. I forgave myself that
day and also became unapologetic
within my art. There’s a massive
correlation between the two.
Thank you so much for your honesty.
Many women need to hear
your words, so they stop feeling

ashamed for something that
is shared by many.
Now, taking this to a more
professional perspective…
Several artists have joined
the emotional makeup
movement; they make sacrifices
on themselves and on
models while using their art
tools, all of it because it is
their way to become storytellers!
And, in the present
moment, this may seem a
very, very tiny fraction of
our industry, however, I
would like to know how you
foresee emotional makeup
to grow in today’s platforms?
A: I feel like emotional
Make- up is the truest form
of the self and of the art form.
For far too long now, Makeup
has been used as a mask
rather than an extension. Artists
like Alex Box, a revolutionary
of our time, are a real
powerhouse in emotive Make
up. My favourite, less known
emotive artist, is Gina Harrison
and she’s making massive
waves! I think their influency,
plus the new disregarding of
‘instaglam’ makeup that is beginning,
can only do wonders
for the movement. People
have lots to say and I think
the conversation is starting
now!
Would you be able to give
a message to those reading
this, who are unable to either
understand the message
of this movement or to
express themselves through
this art form?
A: Art is not always meant
to be understood, sometimes
the process is more than the
result. How are you supposed
to understand seeing a feeling?
One is in their truest
form when one is raw. When
you can appreciate that, you
can appreciate yourself.

COLLABORATIONS:
ANNISTASIA CHANDLER
BRUNA CUNHA
SINEAD