Maria Fynsk Norup presents Preserved Beauty, along with a selection of works from an expansive and ongoing body of self-portraiture, in which water serves as a space of transition, translation, and emotional resonance. While not formally part of a single series, each piece reflects a deep engagement with inner states, connection with nature, and the sensory weight of being in the world.
Preserved Beauty is a conceptual self-portrait series reflecting on the lengths we go to preserve what we find beautiful. Using plastic wrapping, pickling, and methods of conservation as metaphors, the works explore how attempts to hold onto natural beauty can distort it, leaving the subject faded, estranged, and at times unsettling. The series received an Honourable Mention in the 18th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for female photographers.