Jakarta, 2021 – Amid a challenging pandemic year, all of us had come to terms with the notion of letting go. Whether it is letting go of space, comfort, friends and family, or even letting go some parts of ourselves—only to find a different perspective of our own selves.
In the second issue of PEARS Magazine, we return to dive deeper into what being oursevles mean. As the pandemic pushed us to be with our own company, seeing our own reflection in the mirror and videos of the endless Zoom meetings or at times being in isolation from social connection creates countless inner questions. Questions of identity, of our appearance, and of external expectation comes to surface. Are we truly and deeply satisfied with how we look?
In this second issue through the theme of Body Identity we look into the subject of Body Modification—the history, impact, and lasting effect through the piece “Beyond Body Alterations: Symbolism and Autonomy,” we further explore the implication of physical pain as a manifesta- tion of what’s inside through the piece “Skin Deep,” we also draw into the negative consequences of constant body alteration in the writing “Body Dysmorphia: Beyond Insecurities and Self Image” and particularly highlight the pride in changes through “In Love with my Scars,” show- ing the grace and courage in body modification.
We also interview two personas, Stasya Bwarlele, who embraced her found gender identity, and Diego Shefa, who challenge the status quo with his choice of appearance.
We hope the second issue will make you ponder about choices and reason with changes. Come through with us and hopefully you could find a way to get to know yourself better.
