Cihan Öncü captures moments of relaxation and reflection as people get their hair washed

Photographer Cihan Öncü wishes for his photography to “point to a pause that invites you to feel the sounds and smells of modern life”. Inspired by “simple and mundane” objects from his childhood plus warm compositions and colours, his project A.S.M.R (which takes its title from the term Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response – a tingling sensation on the scalp) beautifully explores moments of stillness amongst the whirlwind of daily routine. The project found its name from Cihan’s stumbling across online videos while he was in the middle of shooting it. “I found out that there are already a lot of popular ASMR videos of people getting their hair washed, and it didn’t surprise me at all,” he tells us. “Getting a head massage releases a circuitry throughout the body that puts the person into this relaxed and mindful moment of contemplation.”

Born and raised in southeastern Turkey, Cihan’s creative interests – like many photographers – were inspired by a family member. In his case specifically, it was his photographer uncle. It was only after finishing university that Cihan decided to focus solely on the medium, assisting a photographer before eventually beginning to produce his own projects and works in 2015. He now lives between Istanbul and New York.

Cihan was compelled to begin the A.S.M.R project after observing the emotional effects the pandemic was having on those around him. “When the pandemic first started, everyone around me was really stressed, so I was thinking about the moments in life when people feel most relaxed.” Searching for the small moments that evoked calm within himself, Cihan landed on getting his hair washed at the salon – “it was so calming that I almost felt like a baby”. Luckily, one of Cihan’s friends owned a nearby salon and allowed him to come and take pictures of their customers.

Opting for warm lighting to induce a “soft world”, and working very carefully to ensure the continuity of his set up, Cihan’s series is artfully consistent. Explaining that his people often seemed “confused” by the camera, he quickly learnt how to reassure his subjects; “I asked them to pretend I wasn't there and to just enjoy the moment”. And while all the subjects' faces and expressions differ slightly, there appears one unifying emotion – reflection. With eyes staring wistfully into the distance and appearing lost in thought, their faces show people who have been offered a moment to enter a world of their own. “People just don't think about anything in that moment. They’re at their most innocent, sincere and comfortable.”

With the project allowing such close and personal interaction with his subjects, it's no surprise that Cihan developed a certain closeness with them. But, interestingly, the photographer found that people were much more talkative after having their hair washed. “Beforehand, I would try to talk to them but they were nervous and didn't want to open up about their life. Afterwards, though, I asked the same questions, and they would have a lot more to say.” This relaxed state also seemed to instigate moments of nostalgic reflection: “The older women in their 50s and 60s kept talking about how they were in their 20s, their childhoods, the music they listened to when they were young and the movies they watched. It was so fun!”

Seemingly diverting to much less inviting scenes, the photographer's upcoming project is titled Food Poisoning through which he is “establishing a very interesting connection with food”. With Cihan’s clear aptitude for creating compelling a photo series, we're sure it's one to look out for.