MESS
Designer
Thomas-Armin Mathes
Country
Germany
category
Portrait
Prize
Official Selection 2026
Short Description
MESS explores the tension between imposed order and inner resistance. Fingerwaves traditionally stand for precision, discipline and control — especially for hairstylists, for whom they can become a source of pressure in training and examinations. Here, that perfection begins to unravel. Flyaways escape the sculpted structures while the models’ expressions appear irritated, defiant and detached. Hair and face become mirrors of the same inner tension.
Prompt Logic
The series began with the recurring phrase “messy fingerwaves.”
I deliberately combined two contradictory ideas: the precision and discipline associated with classical fingerwaves, and the instability implied by “messy.” From there, I repeatedly varied the scale, direction and architecture of the waves, while preserving visible flyaways and irregularities rather than correcting them away.
The prompt logic also included close portrait framing, monochrome photography, direct or confrontational facial expressions, and an editorial beauty aesthetic. I looked for images in which the hairstyle did not simply decorate the face, but appeared to impose itself on it.
The final selection was guided by the relationship between expression and structure: the more controlled the hair became, the more important the model’s visible resistance became.
Process
MESS grew out of my professional experience as a hairstylist and educator. Fingerwaves are one of those techniques that look effortless only when they are executed with absolute precision. In training and examination situations, they can become a real source of pressure: the lines have to be clean, the rhythm controlled, the surface polished, and even small flyaways can feel like failure.
I wanted to turn that tension into the subject of the portraits rather than hide it. The hairstyles were pushed into exaggerated, sculptural forms, while imperfections and flyaways remained visible. At the same time, I selected expressions that felt irritated, defiant or emotionally detached.
The work evolved when I realised that the hair and the faces were beginning to mirror each other. The imposed order of the hairstyle became a visible counterpart to the inner resistance of the person wearing it.
MESS therefore became less about hairstyling itself and more about what happens when external expectations of control collide with an internal refusal to comply.
