One of the most interesting phenomena concerning costume films, cartoons or sagas is their development in real life, thanks to cosplayers who replicate the costumes by identifying themselves with the fantasy stories and creating small and funny surrogates.
The cosplayers’ attention to detail is obsessive and helps to express the diversity and individuality of each performer, who is part of a large and varied community. The fascination with this world is the basis of the photographic series created by Thurstan Redding, a project that has been going on for three years and represents a plastic and theatrical, almost dreamlike world.

Thurstan Redding’s photos have been collected in the book Kids of Cosplay, which shows suburban landscapes, bus stops or children’s bedrooms, where magical creatures and a community united by a dedication to art and creativity live.
The book is an account of the social and cultural context of cosplay, a way of looking beneath a surface that often assumes only a frivolous and playful character, but which represents a true expression of interiority for many people. 144 pages with over 60 cosplayers shot in 50 locations, to express that we are all in our own way the cosplay of something.

What the artist described as “one of the most difficult but also rewarding projects I have ever worked on” is available at this link.