Black and white editorial spread featuring an East Asian woman wearing beaded lip jewelry beside text reading The Bite.

Black and white editorial portrait featuring an East Asian woman and a man facing each other, connected by metallic thorny branches.

Black and white diptych featuring intimate human figures and bodily contact against a minimalist white studio background.

Monochrome diptych of a person wearing statement rings and a chunky necklace, touching their face in studio portraits

Black and white close-up of a woman with dark wavy hair and bangs biting a large glittering hoop earring with her head tilted back.

Black and white editorial diptych showing two close-up profiles on the left and an arched torso with silver rings on the right.

Black and white close-up of two bare feet interacting, with ornate metal toe rings adorning one foot against a plain studio background.

Black and white editorial image showing a man and woman holding a metallic ring in their mouths for C-DeSac the breaking bite.

Monochrome editorial diptych showing shirtless figures with interlocked arms and a silver bracelet against a plain background

Monochrome contact sheet grid showing a woman with dark hair posing with her hands touching her face against a light grey background

Black and white diptych showing an intimate embrace on the left and a close-up of a circular bite mark on bare skin on the right.

Black and white editorial portrait of a woman holding a stick between her teeth against a white background.

Black and white editorial diptych showing close-up side profiles of people with open mouths near each other.

Black and white triptych sequence showing close-up crops of a woman opening her mouth and biting a person's neck against a black frame.

Black and white triptych of an East Asian woman making playful facial gestures with ring-adorned hands against a white studio background.

Black and white four-panel composition showing close-up details of bare hands, arms, and feet wearing sculptural silver jewellery.

Close-up black and white portrait of a woman biting down on another person's bare shoulder against a plain backdrop.

Black and white editorial image showing a person's foot resting against another person's face against a white background

Various Editorials C-DeSac the breaking bite 2025

About

Photographer Mark Pillai captures a series of intimate, sculptural studies in the editorial project C-DeSac the breaking bite. The work features a sequence of black-and-white fashion spreads that lean into minimalist framing and high-key monochrome lighting to explore tactile human interaction. By prioritizing form and movement, the project creates a rhythmic visual narrative centered on close-ups, expressive facial gestures, and the integration of ornate metallic jewelry. Utilizing a mix of clean studio aesthetics and grain-rich analogue film techniques, the series employs varied compositional layouts, including diptychs, triptychs, and contact sheet grids. Pillai’s approach emphasises skin texture and physical proximity, resulting in a conceptual collection that balances avant-garde portraiture with a focus on human anatomy and stylized gestures.