“I have never felt so powerful, liberated and f**king proud of my stretch marks in my entire life.”
Artist, Sara Shakeel is known to many for creating the most stunning and abstract designs on her Instagram account. Through the use of contrasting graphics and imagery, she creates images that we immediately want to print off and hang over the fireplace and now, this project is one of our favourites.
Sara, who goes by the Instagram name @sarashakeel, decided to use her stretch marks as her canvas. Applying glitter and crystals to the marks on her skin, Sara highlights what many people see as an “imperfection” and turns it into art. The artist makes us look at these marks in awe with glitter on them and therefore, we are reminded that we have to love our imperfections for what they are.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan, Sara discussed how this series is gaining momentum, with women all over the world adding glitter to their stretch marks and bravely showcasing their bodies for what they are. She said:
“I want to bring cellulite, stretch marks, and body empowerment into the limelight, stretch marks are something I relate to on a very personal basis.”
Speaking out about how “being chubby” and having stretch marks was something Sara found difficult to talk about as a young girl, now she is using her stretch marks to create art and remind us of the beauty in things we often look at negatively. Kudos.