Shadya Lopez

Life Models

Nearly 100,000 women with breast cancer undergo mastectomy every year in the US. After surgery, the dictated course of action is reconstructive surgery with breast implants. Most women are not given the alternative of Aesthetic Flat Closure (AFC), even though it might be the right choice for them. Not Putting on a Shirt is the largest “flat” community and has been trying to convince plastic surgeons and women to accept this valid option for the past decade. The strong medical case for AFC alone has not moved the needle, so we had to change our approach by challenging how surgeons and society see beauty.

Life Models is a live figure drawing class that redefined the beauty standards for women with breast cancer.
We took over a regularly scheduled figure drawing class, where typically nude models pose for student artists. Unbeknownst to the students, we brought in an unconventional model—a woman who chose to go flat after mastectomy. This experience surprised and challenged artists to defy beauty standards—the same standards that coerce women with breast cancer to undergo reconstructive surgery without being offered AFC as an alternative.

CASE STUDY

We displayed 30 original artworks from the class at an art exhibition in NYC, and invited members of the flat community, women with breast cancer, surgeons, and the general public. Both the class and exhibit were captured in a short film, which has become a powerful educational tool, moving AFC outside of the medical setting and bringing it into our culture through art.