About Normal Bodies
ALL BODIES ARE NORMAL
Normal Bodies is a collection of watercolour paintings of real people’s bodies accompanied by personal accounts of their lived experiences.
Many of us are battling to unlearn the lessons we’ve been taught about our value as people in relation to the bodies that we exist in. We’re working hard to erase memories of those first times we felt like we weren’t good enough. Fighting to silence the voices that tell us we needed to change and to be better.
Normal Bodies is a stepping stone towards body neutrality and the beautifully freeing realisation that all bodies are normal. The aim of this project is to help folks feel normal, worthy, and seen.
Wherever a person is on their personal body journey, Normal Bodies aims to be an empowering, liberating, and healing part of that process.
Who we are
The Normal Bodies project is a partnership between Sophie and Cecy. Sophie and Cecy met in December 2018 in Mexico City where Cecy is based.
They launched Normal Bodies together on Instagram in October 2019.
Sophie BELLAMY
Sophie (she/her) is a writer from Sheffield, England. Sophie’s catalyst for creating Normal Bodies was a transformative nude modelling experience a couple of years ago. After decades of hating her body, posing without clothing brought about a realisation: all bodies are beautiful, we’ve just been taught not to see it. From there, Normal Bodies was born.
Cecilia Lizcano Lopez
Cecy (she/her) is a painter, sculptor, and concept artist from Chihuahua, Mexico. She studied at the ENPEG ‘La Esmeralda’ school which was founded by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and has displayed her work in Mexico City’s museum of modern art. Her concepts and sculptures have also appeared in films, TV series, and music videos.
HAND PAINTED IN MEXICO
Normal Bodies portraits are hand-painted in watercolour in Mexico City. Reference photos are used to create the portraits so anyone can participate no matter where they are in the world.
Every participant also has the option to write a caption to accompany their painting that talks about their unique experience in their body.
Submissions are always open and we paint every single body we receive a reference photo of (we don’t accept submissions from cis men). Marginalised bodies always have and always will be prioritised, and participation is completely anonymous.
Find out more about how to participate here.