Fetfan interview

Photographer: Suzana Plesca

Kitty Rea: I believe the human body and human sexuality should be accepted, celebrated, enjoyed. I think the general notions of what beauty and sexuality are should be challenged, shaken, they should be extended, warped and brought out into the light. I want all of my work to be a reflection of the idea that sex and the human form are not something to be hidden away, but a provocation for individuals to continuously discover and embrace themselves, but also to open themselves up to those around them.

FETFAN: How did you get started with modeling and how long have you been in the industry?

Kitty Rea: Me and my friends had been fooling around with cameras and posting pictures for about six months when I got a call about a photographic project on shibari. The subject was very exciting to me so I immediately accepted. That was over one year ago and its been the most incredible adventure.

Photographer: Camelia Popescu

FETFAN: Your work is definitely unique, how did you decide or how did you discover this side of you as a model?

Kitty Rea: Visual aspects of art have always been the quickest to move me. I grew up being surrounded by art, in different forms, but I never pictured myself as a model. I guess others saw the ability in me. I was just very open to new challenges and great, crazy ideas, so in time I ended up collaborating with a lot of amazing people who encouraged me and cultivated my love for modelling.

FETFAN: What is your favorite category to model and why?

Kitty Rea: Certainly I am more inclined towards any kind of fetish themed projects, not only because I am a fetishist myself, but also because the subject matter is so rich and you can be as outlandish as your imagination will allow you. I also have a very strong attraction to eerie and macabre themed shoots. I believe that death is a universal trigger of fear and that fear is the most primal and basic emotion, the one that reveals your true self. People can fake a lot of things: joy, ecstasy, anger, excitement, but fear renders us all equal and emotionally naked. I enjoy that idea very much.

Photographer: Mihai Tutu

FETFAN: FETFAN Magazine is an alternative fine art nude magazine, but at the same time allowing artists to express themselves through their art. Fetishes are one of these forms. Do you have any fetishes that you have modeled or personally find interesting?

Kitty Rea: I do certainly have a lot of fetishes and some of them are in the makings of being illustrated, some I have had the opportunity to depict. I am a lover of bondage, sadism, latex and leather. I would say these are the things that excite me and arouse me the most, so being able to bring them into my work is always greatly pleasing.

Photographer: DarkShibari

FETFAN: Nudes and fine art nudes, how do you feel about the concept and how do you prepare for this type of shoot?

Kitty Rea: I love nudity and being nude. Except for the basic preparation of washing and making sure I look impeccable while naked, I don’t have any steps to mentally prepare for such a shoot. My friends always find it amusing that I am usually the first person in any room to start taking off clothing.

Photographer: Mihai Tutu

FETFAN: Throughout your modeling I’m sure you have been to many different places, which have been your favorite and what kind of project were you working on?

Kitty Rea: It is so hard to choose just one… I would say the most incredible was an abandoned factory complex that had all of these interesting buildings and graffiti. It was a visual feast and I had a blast being there for an entire day, getting naked, climbing on walls and balconies, and crawling through the dirt. It was just me and the photographer having fun and seeing where the entire thing goes.

FETFAN: Is there anyone who has inspired your work?

Kitty Rea: I am constantly inspired by the works of others, from amateurs to fashion industry heavyweights. But I think at the moment I lean towards the esthetics of Steven Klein, Sasha Samsonova, Ellen Von Unwerth and the gritty realism of Terry Richardson.

FETFAN: Who is your favorite artist in the industry and why?

Kitty Rea: Not only because he is a long term collaborator of mine and a friend, but also because I have never seen any image by him that I found anything less than exquisite: DarkShibari.

Photographer: DarkShibari

FETFAN: When at a photoshoot, what do you love most about the experience and what do you find challenging as a model?

Kitty Rea: The entire shoot, each one of them is exciting. From discovering new places to unveiling and molding the chemistry I have with that particular photographer. I see each project as an adventure and a challenge to push my limits and see myself in a new light. And even though so far I haven’t backed down from any idea, I must admit I find it hardest to deal with the cold. A lot of locations, especially in nature, are not the warmest, fuzziest of places. I will just say this much: I hate the cold!

Photographer: Mihai Tutu

FETFAN: How would you best describe yourself using just 3 words?

Kitty Rea: Sincere, willing, reliable.

FETFAN: What do you think your strongest feature is in modeling?

Kitty Rea: My self-imposed discipline of accepting anything that comes my way. I have shot with all sorts of people in all sorts of places and except for the safety screening I do, to make sure I am not running off with some deranged individual, I have never been proposed a project that I didn’t want to do.

Photographer: DarkShibari

FETFAN: At the end of the day when all is done what are you most proud of?

Kitty Rea: I am most proud of the print shop I have, that is a collaboration between me and DarkShibari. The idea of being art in someone’s living space makes me feel accomplished, but humbles me at the same time, because I realize just what a privilege I have been awarded. We have recently donated some prints for the Critters in Need project, an initiative to raise money for animals and I was so happy to be a part of that and to give something back.

Photographer: DarkShibari

FETFAN: If you would like to add a few words or anything else you would like to tell your fans please do so.

Kitty Rea: I would like to advise everyone out there to go with the flow, challenge themselves in whatever they might do and never doubt what others see in you, even if you might not see it yourself. Be loud, be bold and carve out your own place in the world!