Issue No. 3 :
Beauty & Rebellion
Who exactly gets to DEFINE what's beautiful?
As humans, we have biases, and media and marketing also feed us what we see as beautiful. Yet, as a society, we still accept and shape who or what we consider beautiful. But this often leaves little room for those who challenge its conventions.
Generative AI presents an interesting contradiction. It can reproduce the very biases we've inherited. In fact, AI models are also trained on these human biases. In Beauty & Rebellion, this issue explores this topic through artists who use imagination, personal experience, and storytelling to challenge not only how we see beauty, but also how we see the world.
In 1972, psychologists identified what became known as the beauty-is-good stereotype, revealing how physical attractiveness influences our assumptions about a person's character and abilities. More than fifty years later, questions about beauty, representation, and the standards we inherit remain as relevant as ever.
But rebellion takes many forms, and not all of them concern physical appearance. In Beauty & Rebellion, we explore how artists challenge conventions, question authority, and imagine alternatives to the world around them. Beauty becomes a way of examining identity, belonging, resistance, and even survival.
Among the contributors, Anna Pereira draws on her fashion experience to reconsider who gets to inhabit the worlds of beauty and representation. Saaz JS uses imagined protest imagery to explore collective resistance and political expression, while Michelle Sterling's Minara envisions a civilization transformed by environmental loss, where adaptation reshapes identity and the meaning of survival. Each approaches storytelling through a different lens, revealing how personal experience and imagination influence the worlds artists create.
Guest-edited by Rebecca Smith, this 190+ page edition brings together international AI creatives through visual editorials and candid conversations. Beyond the striking imagery, the book asks questions about artistic intention, cultural perspectives, and the choices that give creative work meaning. Discover those conversations in Beauty & Rebellion.
Discover work and perspectives from these imaginative creators from around the world. Each brings a distinct perspective and a remarkable command of generative AI to their storytelling in Beauty & Rebellion—available now in print and digital.