Eyes as Big as Plates

Organic Materials  worn by Playful Seniors to Personify Nature

A whimsical series, Eyes as Big as Plates, features senior citizens donning organic materials like twigs and grass. This is a collaborative project from Finnish photographer Riitta Ikonen and Norwegian photographer Karoline Hjorth.

Senior citizens pose wearing organic material

This initially began as “a play on characters and protagonists from Norwegian folklore.” It has since emerged into a collection of images exploring “mental landscapes” that reflect a return of the body to nature with the use of recycled materials.

Seniors stand out in the natural landscapes

There’s a lovely sense of humor to the series that places the elderly in natural landscapes.

Their organic outfits concurrently camouflage them into their surroundings and make them stand out as unique individuals. 

Seniors were exceptionally refreshing

Seniors were chosen to represent personifications of nature because it is exceptionally interesting and refreshing. There’s an aged beauty in both the subjects and their costumes.

Update: Eyes as Big as Plates has a Kickstarter campaign running to help fund a book that features seniors from all around the world.

“Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.”

-    Ausonius