Inside the VERY colorful lives of female bodybuilders: Photographer captures beautiful portraits of strong women – including a five-year-old girl who ‘dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast’ and trains up to SIX days a week
- LA photographer Kate Biel’s Barbella Collection showcases the very colorful world of female bodybuilding
- Bodybuilders are canvases that counter the self-sabotaging rhetoric that women are inherently vulnerable or helpless. Feminine nature begins with pain,” she says
- Barbella will be available to view on Blade study in New York City from February 16 to March 26
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Heavy makeup, carefully selected outfits, toned muscles – it sounds like a description fit for a beauty pageant, but one photographer uses exactly that background to give a glimpse into the very colorful lives of female bodybuilders – including a five-year-old who trains up to six days a week.
Photographer from Los Angeles Kate BillThe Barbella collection eschews traditional forms of feminine beauty and instead focuses on muscular forms that only a few women can achieve.
“Bodybuilders are canvases that counter the self-sabotaging rhetoric that women are inherently vulnerable or helpless,” Biel said in a statement. rack. ‘Feminine nature begins with pain. Women are born with built-in pain. Female bodybuilding is an act of resistance.”
In her collection, Biel features several adult bodybuilders – but one standout is five-year-old Kynlee Heiman. The child, who works out four to six days a week, can be seen flexing her abs in Biel’s portraits. Biel said that Kynlee dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast and that she will have to “defy nature and just outshine it.”
When asked if she thought she would face criticism for promoting an unhealthy lifestyle among children, Biel brushed it off, saying, “As a photographer, I’m in no position to pass judgment – only to observe the truth.” and record.’
Kynlee Heiman, five, poses with her hand over her eyes as she flexes her abs. Biel told DailyMail.com that Kynlee dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast and trains four to six days a week. She is featured in photographer Katie Biel’s Barbella collection. “To become an Olympian you have to defy nature and just outshine it,” Biel told DailyMail.com
Kate Biel’s Barbella collection takes a different look at the female body, turning away from the traditional forms of feminine beauty to enjoy the muscular forms
Bodybuilder Jessica Vetter poses topless in eccentric make-up, while Biel shows off the colorful world of the sport
Biel said her portrait collection also strives to “dissolve the heteronormative power structures surrounding bodybuilding” and “embrace the grotesque.”
Women in the world of extreme bodybuilding are often seen as “grotesque” and “masculine” – while their male counterparts are hailed as the epitome of masculinity.
“It’s one of the few impossible standards of beauty that the male-dominated media doesn’t openly embrace.” she said. “Maybe because of the threat that a muscular woman can defy the norm.”
When asked what Biel’s definition of a strong woman was, she told DailyMail.com, “Strong women are women of encouragement. Women seeking their own pleasure instead of waiting for it to happen, which to this day is seen as an act of defiance.”
Barbella can be seen from February 16 to March 26 at Blade Study in New York City.
Kynlee lies on the floor in tiger face paint as she poses her strong body
Lorri Clouston-Moran and her daughter Courtney pose in bikini bottoms and jewelery while showing off their painted nails. Bodybuilding competitions often have similar requirements to beauty contests: heavy makeup, carefully selected outfits, and toned muscles
Leana Kaplan poses in a bikini top.
Bodybuilder Lauren Powers scratches her eye with one of her long pink fingernails while dressed in jewels and bright makeup for a competition. Biel’s photo collection aims to “dissolve the heteronormative power structures” surrounding bodybuilding and “embrace the grotesque”
“Bodybuilders are canvases that counter the self-sabotaging rhetoric that women are inherently vulnerable or helpless,” Biel said in a statement. ‘Feminine nature begins with pain. Women are born with built-in pain… Bodybuilding by women is an act of resistance’
Biel delves into the idea that women can’t be tough and strong through her photo collection and questions societal views on women, both young and old
Leana Kaplan poses with a pug and a feminine hairstyle of braids and bows as she flexes her incredible arm muscles. ‘Bodybuilding is so much more than just sports. It’s a ritual of eating, sculpting, pageantry, and being in peak physical condition for months, followed by being out of shape for the rest of the year to heal from those intense physical demands. It’s a science.’ Biel told DailyMail.com
A little intimidated? A little boy named Lev looks nervous as he flexes his own muscles next to Jessica. “Strong women are encouraged women. Women seeking their own pleasure instead of waiting for it to happen, which is still seen as an act of defiance to this day,” Biel told DailyMail.com.
Lauren bows as she poses in front of a vintage car. Barbella can be seen from February 16 to March 26 at Blade Study in New York City