Nude photos vulgar? “Not in this case, on the contrary!” says Leon Schröder. He made a – sometimes emotional – statement in 2017 with his photo series Naked Rotterdam, and now it is The Hague’s turn to go naked, literally. At ‘Bob Staat Op’, the photographer tells how a graduation project grew into a serious mission about self-acceptance.

Dressed, the public identity on the left, stark naked on the right; He photographed 165 people to complete his master’s degree in photography, which resulted in the hardcover he carries with him. “I find it fascinating to put that how you want people to see you next to what you have no control over: your naked self.”

Schröder was introduced to this concept by American photographer Greg Friedler, who committed suicide in 2015. “I was only just introduced to his work at the time and I wanted to keep browsing through it, so that was tough to hear. I contacted his family to ask if I could continue his work and they were very enthusiastic.”

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