| Italian photographer Country: Italy |
Yossi Lolua is an Italian photographer who gained recognition for his unique approach to capturing beauty through his photography. In the spring issue of 2011, 'ZOOM Magazine' named Lolua as one of the most influential and interesting new photographers in both national and international arenas.
Lolua's unconventional photography focuses on showcasing full-figured women. Since 2006, he has been capturing the beauty of voluptuous women from all over the world in his project titled 'Full Beauty'. His intention is to celebrate the fullness and femininity of these women, using his artwork as a form of protest against the beauty standards imposed by the media and fashion industry in today's society. For Lolua, larger women represent a different form of beauty, and he believes that everyone should have the freedom to embrace their own unique preferences without being constrained by societal norms.
Yossi Lolua started his photography career in 2001, working in various genres. It was during this time that he began his personal experiments in portrait photography. His work, 'Full Beauty', has been described by 'ZOOM Magazine' as powerful, provocative, and ironic. Rejecting the stereotypes associated with fashion and the cult of glamour and eroticism, Lolua sought to find a new foundation for a new fetishization. He defied the rules of interpretation, expressing through his art-nude photographs of full-bodied women everything that was brewing in his soul. With irony and deep respect for his models, he showcases larger women, even pushing beyond what is commonly labeled as 'fat' (with his models weighing between 190 to 270 kg). Lolua selects women from the crowd, private individuals, and then emotionally impacts the viewer by presenting their naked bodies in a special way, often using large-format photography to enhance the effect. All of his works are executed with great professionalism and technical knowledge in the field of photography.
Rather than resorting to primitive provocation by focusing solely on nude bodies, which in themselves are revealing, Lolua went a step further. He posed his models in elegant positions in perfect settings with elements of furniture, achieving a "harmony of opposites." He also decided to capture a complete absence of thought and action in the frame, applying a Zen style that reflects the detachment of the models in the photographs. Lolua has created a gallery of unconventional characters, immortalizing their bodies and transforming his photographs into iconic images that intentionally destabilize the consciousness of viewers accustomed to banal 90-60-90 metrics.
Italian photographer Jean Paolo Barbieri believes that Lolua's work emphasizes that today's world has broken the barriers of restraint to reveal "untouched virtues." Barbieri noticed that Lolua used poses and expressions of calmness and openness, dismissing all erotic undertones. Instead, Lolua's work exudes pure magnificence and strength that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.