We draw our own “pink” lives as kids. But the journey of creating it—turning the picture into real life—is like walking endlessly in a desert that’s infinite with unexpected optical illusions. In the journey where childhood turns into adulthood, our exploration of ourselves becomes increasingly ambiguou. External pressures affect how we see ourselves. Through the many expectations others set on us, self-doubt arises. In any walk of life, our self-image wavers through these doubts, just like mirages. We grasp at our future selves, our goals, our achievements.
The mirror is the go-to place for any secrets, any ambition, any self-reflection. It is the best friend that will never betray.
Credits:
Photo & Editing: Kim Ngan Phung & Arthur Dennyson Hamdani
Models: Asmi Shukla & Polen Light
Makeup and Support: Tasnim Anzar
Props: Anna Sokolova
Editor’s note: This is a preview of The Strand’s Spring 2022 magazine, MIRAGE.
