Rope Tales

Kinbaku: a challenge for the body, a shiver for the mind

Tenshiko in a white dress

Filed Under: Photo

This studio session with Marta Tenshiko explores the internal rotation of the hips and the line it creates through the lower legs. As the thighs rotate inward, the feet open outward: an anatomical detail that produces a sensual, distinctly feminine geometry, made more visible by the contrast between the white dress, natural rope and dark background.

The sequence begins with more clearly readable suspended positions, then gradually develops into intense semenawa. Moving from suspension to the tatami allows the same exploration to be seen from different angles: the opening of the feet, the asymmetry of the knees and the tension of the lines continually reshape the body.

Photography and rope: Federico Kirigami
Model: Marta Tenshiko
Assistant: Ema Kurof

Ema Kurof was present in the studio and assisted Federico during these shots; she also created a separate photographic series that is not included in this gallery.

  • Marta Tenshiko kneeling on the tatami in a white dress, with her arms tied behind her body
  • Marta Tenshiko in a nearly horizontal side suspension, wearing a white dress with her legs extended
  • Marta Tenshiko inverted in suspension, with one leg folded and the other opening into space
  • Close view of Marta Tenshiko inverted, with her legs open in an asymmetrical pose
  • Marta Tenshiko folded into an inverted suspension, with her hips raised and knees bent, within a kinbaku session
  • Marta Tenshiko in a diagonal suspension, with internal hip rotation and her feet opening outward
  • Marta Tenshiko leaning forward under rope tension, with her arms tied behind her, in the most intense phase of the semenawa session
  • Portrait of Marta Tenshiko leaning forward, lit against the dark studio background
  • Detail of Marta Tenshiko's legs and feet opening outward through internal hip rotation
  • Marta Tenshiko in a side suspension with her legs arranged along asymmetrical lines, within a kinbaku session
  • Close view of Marta Tenshiko's side suspension and the rotation of her pelvis
  • Marta Tenshiko suspended sideways with her torso arched and one arm reaching toward the tatami
  • Marta Tenshiko in an inverted side suspension, supported by vertical rope lines, in the kinbaku progression
  • Marta Tenshiko in a dynamic suspended pose, with her knees bent and feet opening outward
  • Marta Tenshiko lying on her side on the tatami, with ropes crossing her torso and hips
  • Marta Tenshiko folded on the floor with internally rotated hips and bent legs
  • Close portrait of Marta Tenshiko folded on the tatami during the semenawa
  • Wide view of Marta Tenshiko on the floor, still connected to the suspension lines, within a kinbaku session
  • Low-angle view of Marta Tenshiko on the tatami, emphasizing the geometry of her legs
  • Close view of Marta Tenshiko's floor pose, with asymmetrical knees and feet opening outward
  • Portrait of Marta Tenshiko lying on the tatami, with ropes across her torso and an intense gaze
  • Close-up of Marta Tenshiko on the tatami during the most intense phase of the session
  • A transitional moment in the semenawa with Marta Tenshiko on the floor and the ropes under tension
  • Marta Tenshiko lying on the tatami with one leg raised and connected to the suspension line, in the kinbaku progression
  • Marta Tenshiko in a diagonal floor pose, with one leg raised and the other extended
  • Marta Tenshiko on the floor with internally rotated hips and her feet opening outward
  • Marta Tenshiko with both legs raised and opened by the ropes around her thighs, within a kinbaku session
  • Detail of Marta Tenshiko's raised legs and feet turned outward
  • Detail of the ropes around Marta Tenshiko's thighs and her face during the semenawa
  • Close view of Marta Tenshiko's folded pose and the lines created by her legs
  • Final portrait of Marta Tenshiko on the tatami, with her legs folded and feet opening outward