Ben Hopper

Kei for 'Pantyhose' (WIP). Jul 2, 2014. London, UK.

"What is life? What is death? Life without death has no meaning. Life does not exist without death. Wherever there is life, there is death. And we cannot hide from it. Death is a change, a process. It is necessary for life. Western societies have demonised death. But why? Due to fear and ignorance. Because there’s something to be afraid of after death. What is it? What is God? They are truly afraid of God, and He is life itself. So they stay away from death, and by doing so they stay away from life as well." ⠀ An excerpt from ‘The Sacred Science’ documentary. Photo: Abie for 'Naked with Masks' (London, 2010). Censored for Instagram, original version can be found on therealbenhopper.com.

All artists are “blessed” with some form of self-doubt or as some call it, Imposter Syndrome. In recent years, I’ve been questioning photography and my role as an artist working with photography; “what’s the fucking point…?” I’d ask myself. Myself would shrug back. ⠀ About 2 weeks ago I started a Facebook group called ‘Hugs for Tobi’ where family & friends could share photos & videos with/of Tobi. It’s been incredible to see how many people he knew, how much he achieved, how many he inspired. It also connected our extended family of friends and created new connections and friendships. ⠀ It reminded me of the effect ‘Natural Beauty’ had on so many around the world. People from all genders who had a small or big eye-opening moment about body hair or self-image, respect to others and acceptance. ⠀ I’ve been posting this work since 2014. Sometimes I’d receive a message from someone, telling me the project made her let her body hair grow. Sometimes I’d receive a message from someone else, telling me how the project made him love and accept female body hair. One person at a time, making an impact. The power of photography is undeniable. ⠀ Today I am very grateful I can share this previously unpublished photograph of Cassia Chloe​ (@cassiachloe), originally taken for the project in 2014. - “The modern woman is made to feel as if her own body is unnatural; we're uncomfortable with our skin” she writes. You can find more photos for her full story on my website, read below. ⠀ — ⠀ ‘Natural Beauty’ is a personal project by Ben Hopper. Although armpit hair is a natural state it has become a statement. Why is that? For almost a century we have been brainwashed by the beauty industry, encouraging hair removal. By creating a contrast between common ‘fashionable’ female beauty and the raw unconventional look of female armpit hair thoughts are intrigued and a discussion is made. The project sparked a global discussion after going viral several times since 2014. It reached millions and contributed to a global cultural trend of women embracing and letting their armpit and body hair grow. ⠀ See more on: therealbenhopper.com (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Yu7KyJiS6/?igshid=1lnpx8r5h949p

The morning Tobi died, I was in London heading to the airport to catch my flight back to Israel. I sent few messages his brother who’s been helping with everything, serving as a link between all the friends and Tobi. I told him that we’re here to help with anything, and I also forwarded few words from another of our mutual friends, to deliver to Tobi. ⠀ He called me back and said: “Tobi died this morning, at 5:05. He died during his sleep, his mum was with him.” I was on an escalator in St Pancras International. I got off, found a corner to sit on and started crying. Tobi’s brother cried with me on the phone. I think we both weren’t sure what to say. He joked and suggested we should throw a party in Oslo House (where Tobi lived) to celebrate his life. We both laughed, through our tears. ⠀ I arrived in Israel at night and went to be with myself. I collapsed to sleep shortly after. Those last days surrounding his death have been draining. The next day, it was sunny. I forced myself out and went for a walk on the beach. I was there nearly entirely by myself for two hours, until sunset. I have a playlist with inspirational / motivational / uplifting tunes that I listen to, whenever I’m down or need some encouragement. The first song I played from that list is called ‘Sound’ by Sylvan Esso: “I was gonna write a song for you Gonna sing it out loud Gonna sing it at such decibels that All you'll hear is sound and All you'll feel is sound and All you'll be is sound”. ⠀ Tobi, who was a bass vocalist, was so much into sound and vibrations. In a sense, he was always some sort of big bassy sound vibration to me. ⠀ I was walking down the beach, next to the water line, listening to the song in my earphones, with tears in my eyes, singing the song out-loud, thinking; perhaps that party idea wasn’t a bad idea. ⠀ Photo: People dancing to music during sunset at Burning Man (2016) (at Burning Man) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7WGZTBJo5U/?igshid=16e17xccxka9h

the void of your existence seems to close down on me like thick grey clouds ⠀ the gigs the parties the shared friendships the countless meals we made for each other the beautiful long deep conversations intimate vulnerable confessions about our romantic relationships abstract humorous philosophical ideas of music and beingness ⠀ and now, i'm left with few photographs videos sounds ⠀ memories ⠀ but is this all there is? no your life’s work continues you have touched so many you have inspired so much you created, initiated, gathered, curated, art-directed in half a lifetime, you lived more than many us combined will ever live ⠀ countless artists and musicians are now carrying parts of your soul with them, where ever they go, with whatever they do you’re immortal your voice will carry on with your magical bass-vibrations trademark hugs with your warm beautiful radiophonic friendly and so familiar bass voice with your kindness and enthusiasm with your love ⠀ you never really died you’re here, forever, in all of us ⠀ thank you for being my friend in this life thank you for accompanying me in spirit throughout the rest of my journey in this dimension i will carry you where ever i go ⠀ thank you Tobias Rafael Hug i love you ⠀ - photo: taken in my London studio as part of my ‘Hackney Wick Portraits’ project. April 11, 2013. (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RG_fAJaB4/?igshid=nuigj4mpznii

Tobias Hug, one of my best friends, passed away from cancer yesterday’s morning. He was a musician, vocalist. Beautiful kind soul that touched countless others. The Freiburg visit was to see him for the last time and say goodbye. The London visit was to soak up as much love from as many friends and mutual friends, before I go back to Israel and fall apart. ⠀ My heart is broken but also full of warmth - knowing I was lucky enough to spend 4 beautiful days with him, some of our friends, and his family, just 4 days before he passed. ⠀ Inside his warehouse in Hackney Wick, which he shared with other friends, and where many of us celebrated many parties, he hung a bunch of my large prints with pictures from my ‘Dancers on Rooftops’ project all over the toilets walls. He loved those pictures, but every time I went there for a piss (especially when I was fucked during a party), I freaked out since it weirdly looked like some sort of ‘Ben Hopper shrine’. ⠀ This ‘Dancers on Rooftops’ photo was taken on the balcony just outside his warehouse unit. The dancer is Lottie Waldon-Day and it was taken on September 3, 2012, the year on which I became friends with Tobes. His window is the one Lottie is ‘touching’ with her left hand. ⠀ I’ll be sharing more about him in the coming days, it’s the only thing that’s on my mind and in my heart right now. (at Hackney Wick) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7JZ-U0pKkU/?igshid=1j2pz9aa2udx6

‘Pantyhose’ is another unpublished project, something I’ve been working on since 2011. I’m not really sure what to say about it. I feel like I want to share it with you so bad, but I’ve been so embarrassed and so ashamed. It’s been teaching me a lot throughout the years. At times, it felt like a thorn in my side. Other times it felt like it’s the most me out of everything. I hope that in 2020, it will finally, see the light of day. Photo taken in Stockholm (2016). (at Stockholm, Sweden) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6wKuKxJxFl/?igshid=m0sbv19jpcpg

‘The Inner Outside’ is a project I’ve been quietly and slowly working on since 2013, and until today, it’s left mostly unpublished. In 2020, I’m planning to finally reveal the first draft of this fascinating body of work. The project aims to find a new way of highlighting some of the world's most unique tattoo pieces, both modern and traditional. The images are inverted and processed digitally to simulate a film negative, resembling to an X-ray radiograph, showing the ink as glowing white on darkened skin and revealing details otherwise hidden to the naked eye. In addition, I am interviewing the subjects in hope to try and shed a little bit more light on the psychology of being a tattooer or a tattooee. ⠀ Here’s a photo from the session I had with Yann Brenyak in my London studio in July 2015. (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6tueEiJUnK/?igshid=9yu5pyo0eo55

As the clock ticks and 2019 fades away, I only have one thing to remind (myself) you: ⠀ “Keep your head up Try and listen to your heart Be kind always, no matter We all grow up And someday we'll say goodbye So shine your light while you got one ⠀ Make the most of what you've got Don't waste time trying to be something you're not Fill up your head and fill up your heart and take your shot Don't waste time trying to be something you're not ⠀ Once round just once so take your shot Don't waste time trying to be something you're not Fill up your head and fill up your heart cause that's all we've got Don't waste time trying to be something you're not ⠀ Through your window That's one way to see the world Step outside and look back into Look and listen And you decide what to believe Shine your light while you got one” ⠀ - ‘Drunken Soldier’ by Dave Matthews Band ⠀ Photo: Tamar Bartov. Neve Yam Beach. December 29, 2019. (at Neve Yam) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6s8SffJEYh/?igshid=yce9baat7bet

Daniela for ‘Natural Beauty’ (2014) ⠀ ‘Natural Beauty’ is a personal project by Ben Hopper. Although armpit hair is a natural state it has become a statement. Why is that? For almost a century we have been brainwashed by the beauty industry, encouraging hair removal. By creating a contrast between common ‘fashionable’ female beauty and the raw unconventional look of female armpit hair thoughts are intrigued and a discussion is made. The project sparked a global discussion after going viral several times since 2014. It reached millions and contributed to a global cultural trend of women embracing and letting their armpit and body hair grow. ⠀ See more on: therealbenhopper.com (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6qdPHypIxp/?igshid=17bxr47d2vz0

Give me colour. Pantyhose. Work in progress. London (2015). Disclaimer: Nipples removed due to safety regulations. (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6n9wU9JwFo/?igshid=omdukrzw2ot5

I’m excited to share a NEW set on my Patreon today. It’s been a while since my last update but I’m now working on getting it back on track, planning 1 post a week (at least). Since we live in No Nipple Era, and since I’m trying to get as many of you to support my work on there, I’m sharing 3 nipple-less photos here as a preview. You can find the full set with 24 images, uncensored (nipples intact) on patreon.com/benhopper (link in my bio). ⠀ If you like what I do, you can support my art on Patreon and gain early access to archives of exclusive uncensored content. Right now I’ve got 56 posts with 427 photos on there, most of them can only be seen on that account! You can access them all for just $5 a month. Everything you give there goes back into my art (thank youuuuu!). ⠀ The subject is the very talented Actor and Theatre Creator Kristin Winters. She's also a trained dancer, as you could see in the photos. Kristin is the founder of Bound By Theatre and you can find her on @kristin_winters. This session was one of the last I’ve done in my London studio., earlier this year in October. (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6iuQHgpVKk/?igshid=3jyq00nwy0j6

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah my friends! Today I'm thinking of Sexuality, Consensus and Popularity. I've seen so many of my friends and collaborators getting their accounts removed from social media (including yours truly just recently). Artists, sex workers and performers who are trying to explore and normalise Sexuality. Many of them lost accounts with tens of thousands of followers (or more). Accounts they worked on for years. ⠀ On one hand, they have a massive following clearly indicating on Consensus and Popularity by the platform's users. On the other hand, they're bound to Terms and Community Guidelines forced upon by the platform. The contrast puzzles me. The terms obviously clash with popular demand. ⠀ There is massive Shame in our society regarding Sexuality. It is being perpetrated the rules of Social Media. Sexuality is a part of us. It is not a dirty word; We are NOTHING without our sexuality. By pushing sexuality aside, we're pushing a part of ourselves aside. The impact is severe. ⠀ Today, I’d like to thank you for years of support. Years of showing me that there’s a section in society that CAN appreciate Sexuality in art. Years of showing me that I should never give up hope and continue to push and explore what it is to be a human, simply human. ⠀ I wish you as well as myself to accept our Sexuality. Accept ourselves. Happy holidays from Israel. Your censored artist Jewish (west) Asian Middle Eastern caucasian HUMAN friend, Ben. ⠀ Photo: Self-portrait at the Uyuni Salt Flat + photos taken across the Uyuni desert in Bolivia (Dec 2017). (at Salar De Uyuni - Bolivia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6diMOkpupB/?igshid=16uknxkgqk7di

I photographed my friend Emily Cripps for ‘Natural Beauty’ in the summer of 2014. To me, this image signifies strength and confidence in so many ways. Emily did not have an easy life and yet, she never ceases to inspire me; as a friend, as a woman, as a human. Below you can read her story, in her own words (parts 2 & 3 continue in comments due to IG's character limit): ⠀ (1/3) “For an understanding of why a person won't shave I believe it's important to understand what compels them to do so in the first place. ⠀ I became aesthetically aware of my body at a much earlier age than many expect one to. Having begun puberty aged at around 8 or 9, I found myself painfully conscious of the myriad changes to my body; most notably the weight gain, menstruation and of course, hair. What ensued were many humiliating (and sometimes aborted) school visits to the pool and haunting horrorshow P.E. changing room experiences in my teens. Bullying occurs inwardly as well as outwardly, and the cruelty from others accompanies that which we inflict upon ourselves. Much of this derives from enforced expectations from/of others and of the self, both of which can skew our ability to see either kindly or rightly. Within the spheres of sexual, societal and educational pressures and tensions that imbue adolescence (and our adult lives), there are multitudinous opportunities to doubt oneself. These are bred and fed by external expectations of who you are meant to be; this is manifested, manipulated and milked through imposed ideas of what you are meant to look like." ⠀ What ensues for many are torrid years of obsessive attempts to alter one's body and situation, in some ways wholly destructive and others which are apparently insignificant. For many and myself this was led by a desire for appeal and belonging; the inward necessity for these feelings being supplanted by an obsessive outward focus. Whilst healing and growth ultimately come from within, body shaming is an ever-rife phenomenon which impairs our ability to do so. Ideals of image are vitriolically and violently imposed to such a variant of degrees that the gravity of many instances is often overlooked." (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6a8KLmpwBK/?igshid=17aaor57bi8ql

The future of human (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Vozwrpgjy/?igshid=1c7gz2xp3y3xz

Contemporary circus inspired me to start photographing. I have snapped about 100,000 images during 300+ shows across Europe since 2009. ⠀ Here’s 10 black and white fragments taken between 2009 to 2011: 1. Stefan Sing at the Israeli Juggling Convention (Israel, 2011) 2. Cabaret Crida by Cridacompany at CiRCa Festival (France, 2011) 3. Jesse Scott at CIRCA by Circa at CiRCa Festival (France, 2010) 4. Gökhan Nasıf at CiRCa Festival (France, 2010) 5. Circolombia at the Roundhouse (UK, 2011) 6. Ici by Jérôme Thomas at CiRCa Festival (France, 2010) 7. Jur during Cabaret Crida by Cridacompany at CiRCa Festival (2011) 8. La Mourre by La Scabreuse at CiRCa Festival (France, 2009) 9. #File_Tone by Subliminati Corporation at CiRCa Festival (France, 2011) 10. Florent Lestage at the Israeli Juggling Convention (Israel, 2011) (at Europe) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6TJ3p6J-fb/?igshid=1t8ttk41z9uy

Ruby Bird​ was one of the first women I photographed for my ‘Natural Beauty’ project when it was initially published in 2014. Below you can read her story, in her own words (2nd part continues in comments due to IG's character limit): ⠀ (1/2) “I first stopped out of, I guess my “laziness”, and later realising I was just actively allowing myself to be more comfortable. So I let it grow, curious to what it would feel like au natural in an area so taboo and visible to the rest of the world. It made me feel good! Like myself, like I couldn’t care what others felt, sort of empowered and comfortable in what my body naturally decided to look like. ⠀ People’s reactions were surprisingly very positive. It attracted partners; curiosity and questions that were enquiring and appreciative in fairly equal measure. There was of course some confusion, but I didn’t really feel any response that was actually directed at me in reality to be negative. Through the project with Ben, I did receive some rather alarmingly nasty comments from Internet trolls on my photo, but I thought in a round about way they were even more empowering than the compliments. These people were commenting this way almost unanimously, out of ignorance, and perhaps their own insecurity. In the face of something so natural, this reminded me that I’m lucky as hell not to have that narrow mind holding me down. ⠀ The people complaining have a lot more to deal with than their own body hair growth. They feel they have to conform to a societal pressure I really don't adhere to. So negativity equalled empowerment and much hilarity for how small minded some very unfortunate souls could be in the face of natural physicality. ⠀ Having body hair is kind of in contrast to my job sometimes, and I don’t always have a full set of underarm lady hair or a generous lady garden! In fact sometimes I have the exact opposite. For me what it’s about is pro choice. If I choose to grow it, it’s because I feel like it, equally if I choose to take it all off.” (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6JFctUJC8K/?igshid=n801jfplgpq7