about the project

The menstrual cycle is not only about the bleeding days. It is a cyclical shift in hormones often compared to the four seasons of nature, with each phase carrying its own energy, mood, and qualities.

Menstruation represents winter. Starting with the first day of bleeding, it marks the beginning of a new cycle. For many, this is a time of introversion, a need for quiet and warmth.

As bleeding ends, the follicular phase begins. The spring. Estrogen starts to rise, and with it, energy slowly returns.

The peak of estrogen and the release of the egg, ovulation, is summer. A time many feel as one of power, high stamina, and libido.

Once estrogen drops and progesterone begins to rise, we move into the luteal phase. Fall. The social, outward energy of summer starts to fade, and the body begins to ask for retreat before the bleeding starts again.

This is simply a general map. Every person experiences their cycle differently, and it can shift throughout different chapters of life.

In 2024, photographer and founder of unboxing cycles Maja Juzwiak accompanied ten women from across Switzerland, each with different backgrounds, to symbolically portray their four menstrual cycle phases in nature, aligned with the corresponding seasons.

Before each shoot, Maja held a brief conversation to understand each of the women’s experiences of that phase and to explore together how best to capture it in images, making the final image a result of co-creation

The result is a collection of 40 photographs that tell the personal stories of these women and reveal the unique emotional landscapes they experience throughout their cycles. It is an inward journey that illustrates how our perceptions, emotions, and energies shift as we move through the different phases of the menstrual cycle.

The aim of the series is to raise awareness, share knowledge and (finally) open the conversation. It also serves as an invitation for each one to look at it with curiosity.

These are real stories and real images, no AI used.

*This project did not include individuals who menstruate but do not identify as women, nor those with conditions such as endometriosis or PMOS. This was due to time and availability constraints at the start of the project.For these individuals, the journey can be more intense, and experienced differently than the concept present above.