“By creating new relationships and learning about the thoughts and ideas of strangers, we might be able to build bridges and combat ignorance and judgement.”
“Kissing sparks all the nerve endings in your lips,” Johanna explains to i-D, “causing a release of dopamine and a surge in oxytocin. It’s an instantaneous stress reliever and creates an immediate emotional bond between two people.”
Johanna, who is Norwegian and based in New York, would approach a potential subject and ask them to pose for her. After snapping the first picture, she would then explain her photo series — asking for permission to kiss them — and photograph their face immediately after performing the consensual, intimate act.
