Photography campaign "Rock Your Ugly" sees Dubai residents bravely speaking their truth

Everybody has insecurities. Whether it’s physical or psychological, there’s something that everyone struggles with. So, if we’re all going through it, why is it so difficult for us to talk about it?

In a world of photoshop and the ‘perfect’ image, we tend to forget that everyone has imperfections and flaws and it’s pretty devastating that we have to consciously display images of ‘reality’ when we’re all so busy portraying a fantasy.

Dubai-based photographer Waleed Shah has created a platform, through his art, for people to discuss their biggest insecurities and hang-ups that they have faced (or still are facing.)

Shah was inspired to create the campaign, when he experienced some mental health struggles himself. He said: “I had wanted to explore other people’s body insecurities since then but never got around to it until a few weeks ago when I lost my best friend to cancer and wanted something, anything, to get my mental state back on track. I decided to pick up this project and see it through it. The process was like group therapy. I would listen to someone else’s pain and share mine.”

The campaign has resulted in a beautifully raw collection of photographs that show just how brave it is to be truly vulnerable

Kimberly Carey: “Alopecia is a ‘chosen’ disorder, I am the Unicorn”

Anushka Abraham: “I started cutting myself when I was 12”

Hamdan Al Abri: “I didn’t want to go out because people might think I have a disease “

Lotus Habbab: “When I was 11 months old I fell off the bed and my arm was resting in between the spaces of the winter heater”

Myrna Ayman: “I’ve learned how to perfect the art of throwing up after meals, I wear a size 1”

Dia Hassan: ““When I left insurance I threw away every suit I owned””

Check out the entire campaign and read their stories here.