Yvonne Todd’s photographs can make you look twice. There is something not quite right – a discomfort, an awkward experience.

This New Zealand based photographer is known for her unique and unconventional approach to portraiture. Her work challenges photographic clichés by manipulating traditional photographic styles to create unexpected and provocative relationships. Her unsettling images feature objects or characters in striking costumes and unnatural poses. Their unfathomable glossy complexions can appear doll-like or with a hint of ghoulishness: wigs, fake teeth, and prosthetics are highly styled and manipulated.

Todd’s work is not a commentary on beauty, but rather an exploration of the irrelevant and obscure. Her distinctive approach to photography has earned her a reputation as a standout figure in the New Zealand art scene and a significant contributor to contemporary art.

Main image: Yvonne Todd, New Portia, 2018
Images: Yvonne Todd, Ice Blue, 2022 (detail); Yvonne Todd, Cloudie, 2022 (detail); Yvonne Todd, Petronella, 2022 (detail)