Corteconcepción, August, 2024

Crepine; (pork) caul fat. Bridal lace. Animals are beautiful, not meant for consumption. Controversially, this photo series shows the beauty, sensuality and vulnerability of these animals by using death rest products. The question is, what’s the hierarchy of compassion — the uncomfortable truth that human empathy is often gated by how “beautiful” or “useful” we perceive a creature to be. Animals are born as masterpieces, yet we often view them through the narrow lens of utility. This series seeks to bridge the chasm between the living breath and the silent carcass. By utilizing the “vestiges of mortality”—the very by-products of the industry that consumes them—we reveal a paradox: a lingering sensuality and a profound vulnerability that persists even after the heartbeat stops.

At what threshold of beauty does a mammal earn the right to exist? If grace is our only metric for mercy, what does that say about the observer? I looked into the mirror of the porcine appetite—exploring the cannibalistic impulse and the inherent cruelty that dwells within the cycle of life itself.