B.A.D. Beautiful and Determined

This project began in America, 2013: authors Erika Z. Figabomba and Alessandra Tisato drove from Nevada to the Bay Area, via San Diego, taking over 10,000 photos of beautiful, powerful women and non-binary people. These photographs do not only celebrate beauty in a way that is far from the polished, glossy images of fashion and advertising; they also explore the meaning of nakedness in a society that seems to prioritise superficial entertainment over women/non-binary sexuality and overall body positivity. B.A.D. Beautiful And Determined, with 224 pages and more than 100 colour photographs, is a celebration of beauty, determination and empowerment free from all genders and stereotypes. The book also contains critical texts by Carlotta Cossutta, a researcher in political philosophy, who works on feminism and queer theories in and out of academia and Elle Stanger, a queer person who writes sex education, short stories and advice columns that work to reduce shame and harm related to sexuality and touch.