Non-certified copies (2022-ongoing)
Non-certified copies (2022-ongoing) consists of extreme close-ups of acrylic nails produced in salons in Vietnam and, more recently, in Vietnamese-owned salons in Berlin. Meticulously handcrafted by female nail technicians, each set can take hours to complete yet lasts only a fortnight before being drilled away. By adopting a typological approach, I aim to capture contemporary nail designs in detail and test whether photography can magnify, elevate, and transform these intricate but ephemeral objects.
Though each nail is tailor-made and technically unique, many draw directly from nature or its representations. Popular designs employ metallic chrome and marble patterns that emulate geological formations, while glittering foils and iridescent mother-of-pearl evoke natural phenomena such as the ocean, the aurora, or cosmic dust. Loose brushwork and pastel colors sometimes give nails the appearance of impressionistic paintings, betrayed only by the inevitable air bubbles trapped beneath a glossy topcoat. However, the most obvious act of imitation is evident in how Vietnamese salons quickly adopt manicure trends from Korea and Japan, countries considered fashion pioneers in Asia.
This raises the question: Is everything nowadays a copy of a copy of a copy, including this photographic reproduction itself? The work plays with ideas of originality and authorship in photography.
Initially conceived during the pandemic, when press-on nail services emerged to meet beauty demands under lockdown, Non-certified copies has since expanded to address broader themes of migration, labor, and transnational design.
Though each nail is tailor-made and technically unique, many draw directly from nature or its representations. Popular designs employ metallic chrome and marble patterns that emulate geological formations, while glittering foils and iridescent mother-of-pearl evoke natural phenomena such as the ocean, the aurora, or cosmic dust. Loose brushwork and pastel colors sometimes give nails the appearance of impressionistic paintings, betrayed only by the inevitable air bubbles trapped beneath a glossy topcoat. However, the most obvious act of imitation is evident in how Vietnamese salons quickly adopt manicure trends from Korea and Japan, countries considered fashion pioneers in Asia.
This raises the question: Is everything nowadays a copy of a copy of a copy, including this photographic reproduction itself? The work plays with ideas of originality and authorship in photography.
Initially conceived during the pandemic, when press-on nail services emerged to meet beauty demands under lockdown, Non-certified copies has since expanded to address broader themes of migration, labor, and transnational design.