inside the ladies’ room

Anyone who has entered the ladies’ bathroom — be it at a club, swimming pool or department store — will understand that it’s not just a place where you do your business and leave. The communal bathroom is where you go to feel better about yourself when you’re having a bad night; it's where you hide out when you need a moment to yourself; and the place where perfect strangers compliment your outfit when you need it most.

Artist Maxi Cohen has documented the beauty of the women’s bathroom through the decades, taking her camera into the back of theatres, discos, spas and churches across the U.S, into Zambia and Brazil. None of the subjects caught in her frame seem particularly fussed about her presence. Instead, they're captured preening and socialising, looking completely at home in their surroudings. See more from Maxi on her website.