Women, in their own words: The empowering images of ‘Picket Lines’

Women, with lines of poetry written across their bodies, are the subjects of “Picket Lines: Dialogues Between Eves, Among Eves and For Eves,” a coffee-table book bearing a message of female empowerment—or make that 100 messages of female empowerment, one for each of the photos in the book.

The book is the brainchild of performance artist, radio broadcaster and educator Kooky Tuason.

It features photographs of women such as Sr. Mary John Mananzan, Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, Miriam Quiambao, Shawn Yao, Andrea del Rosario, Nina Ricci Alagao, Cecile Guidote-Alavarez, Love Añover, Jodi Sta. Maria, Lilia Cuntapay, Cynthia Alexander, Kate Torralba, Michelline Syjuco, Risa Hontiveros, Sonia Roco, Twinkle Ferraren, Abby Asistio, Gaby dela Merced, Giselle Sanchez, Sanya Smith, Mocha, Karen Kunawicz, Gloria Diaz, Aimee Marcos and Anita Linda, taken by photographers Niccolo Cosme, Tabitha Fernan, Mitch Mauricio, Katrina Pallon, and Nikkorlai Tapan.

Sales of “Picket Lines: Dialogues Between Eves, Among Eves and For Eves” will benefit the  Women’s Crisis Center.

In a short e-mail exchange, Tuason spoke to GMA News Online about the book.

Q: What is the purpose of writing lines of poetry on these women's bodies? What do you hope the photos will convey?

A: Naked truths. We have a voice and we wanted to be heard using powerful one-liners as a tool in getting our message across.

Q: How did you choose the subjects? What were your criteria?

A: It's all about women empowerment. I chose a diverse set of women to represent all sides of femininity.

Q: Are these lines from poems you've written?

A: The lines were personal statements from the models themselves.

Q: Does the book include the poems in full?

A: Yes. Some wrote long ones, some summed up their message in a few words.

Q: Why just a line, as opposed to entire poems, on the women's bodies?

A: Women don't always need to explain themselves.

Q: Did you give the photographers and the subjects directions on what the photos should look like—say, in the way of pose, props, expression?

A: I made a few suggestions. We collaborated to make the overall look exceptionally fierce.

Q: Could you explain the book's title—'Picket Lines'?

A: It's our rally of sorts. Not on the streets. But in print. We would like to promote the power of words.

Poems, whether written or spoken have the qualities of rewriting herstory's history.

Q: Why did you choose the Women's Crisis Center as the book's beneficiary?

A: I've been helping them out since 2005. I can identify with the survivors.

—KG, GMA News

To purchase “Picket Lines: Dialogues Between Eves, Among Eves and For Eves,” email mina@yonzon.com. You can also follow Picket Lines on Facebook  and Twitter.