Harley Weir's Five Women

“Once, a boy that I loved told me that I was the moon and not the sun because there is nothing more woman than making a whole ocean move.” - Zariya Allen

Harley Weir’s latest project in collaboration with Chanel and i-D for The Fifth Sense documents the daily lives of five creative women in a series of portraits and short films. These women span the globe and vary in discipline, but a commonality they all share is their strength and resolve.

Oulaya Amamra, an actress, discusses the strength of her mother and how she steps in the shoes of the characters she plays. Momo Okabe, a photographer, utilizes her lense to investigate the various aspects of her own identity. Zariya Allen, a poet, describes her relationship to the written word. Manthe Ribane, a dancer, shares what pushes her and the importance of movement. Christine Sun Kim, a deaf sound artist, utilizes her point of view to examine what sound is more deeply.

The series, like much of Weir’s work, is raw and intimate. In the world of Harley Weir’s Five Women, softness is not weakness. Femininity is celebrated and progression is encouraged--characteristics which can often feel as though they are missing in the world today.

Written by Alexa Wilson of Maladroitez