Paper Magazine
Bebe Rexha Burns Down The Asylum
Jul 2026
In a striking editorial collaboration for Paper Magazine, Bebe Rexha channels a volatile, high-concept persona in the project titled Bebe Rexha Burns Down The Asylum. Photographer Diego Bendezu orchestrates a series of evocative visuals that lean into a cinematic narrative, blurring the lines between high fashion and psychological theatre. Across the editorial series, the work employs a blend of low-key chiaroscuro lighting and raw, live-action techniques to build an atmosphere that feels both calculated and surreal. The aesthetic is anchored by stark, industrial settings featuring raw concrete and distressed walls, which serve as a cold, clinical backdrop for the subject’s dramatic performances. Whether she is entangled in a chaotic web of colorful electrical cables or standing poised with a lit lighter in a narrow corridor, Rexha commands the frame with a transformative presence. The deliberate use of analogue film textures and high-contrast studio strobe lighting elevates the project beyond standard portraiture, rooting it firmly in an edgy, modern editorial sensibility. By incorporating recursive imagery—such as the subject’s own face projected onto a vintage television—the project successfully explores themes of technology and entrapment. The final result is a cohesive, high-energy fashion editorial that utilizes dramatic staging and sharp, intentional shadows to create an enduring, theatrical impact within the media and entertainment landscape.
Editorial, Vertical, Moody
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