Elena Dorfman: Anju, 2005

“Anju is the signature image of the series because she reflects what I strove for while attempting to illustrate this culture: the viewer can see who the person is despite the obvious signs that she is in another world, space, atmosphere. She is self-assured as the embodiment of her chosen avatar.”—Elena Dorfman

Explorations of identity through portraiture are at the forefront of the artist’s work. In this series, Dorfman looks at the world of “cosplay” (the merging of “costume” and “play”) in which cosplayers dress up in costumes that represent characters from video games, animated films, and Japanese graphic novels. This exploding subculture, adapted from the Japanese “geek” craze, flourishes at convention centers, college dorms, private clubs, and homes across the country, every day of the year. It is a private world that continues to grow. In her previous series, Still Lovers, the artist examined the intimate and domestic lives of men and women who live with life-sized silicone sex dolls.

Each limited-edition print is hand-packed with great care and ships from New York within 3–5 days.