Kamil Kotarba, #dekoltdlabelorussia (featuring Jana Shostak), 2021

digital print, 60 x 40 cm signed, dated and inscribed on the reverse: 1/10 Kamil Kotarba 2021

The photo is the result of work on the #dekoltdlabialorusi calendar in collaboration with Jana Shostak and the Grace Collective.

The project was created pro bono to raise funds for families of political prisoners in Belarus.

The #dekoltdlabialorusi calendar was created out of a combination of solidarity and body-positivity. We want to support the families of political prisoners in Belarus and at the same time show that helping has many faces and can unite struggles on different fronts - from protests against dictatorship and violence to efforts to broaden the visibility and acceptance of diverse bodies. Women's breasts have already become a symbol of solidarity with Belarus after activist Jana Shostak faced a wave of criticism for not wearing a bra. When she appeared at a press conference wearing a red, white and white dress with cleavage, many people felt that such an outfit was a distraction and took away from her credibility.
The idea behind our design is very simple: each photo features a topless model holding a cat. We decided to combine boobs and cats, i.e. two viral images, the best and worst of the Internet at the same time. We want to show that our bodies belong to us and only we can decide when we want to expose them.