📁 CASE FILE: “The Forbidden Feast” – Intestines, Art & Awareness ← Back
log ref: #INTEST-0424
specimen: silicone intestine strand
use case: artistic celiac awareness campaign
collaborators: shona_dickson_photography / Aaron
status: deployed + highly commended
Inside the Dimply Research Facility, we often work on projects rooted in horror, film, and all things grotesque. But every now and then, a brief lands on our console that’s both beautifully human and strikingly raw. This was one of those.
Earlier this year, we were approached by a photographer, a mother, whose son Aaron had recently been diagnosed with celiac disease in June 2024. A year later, they had crafted a visual language to express his journey, educate others, and spread awareness in a way that was deeply personal.
“The Forbidden Feast”
The concept?
A surreal, visceral image of what gluten can do to the body of someone with celiac:
An immune system attacking itself. Intestinal tissue breaking down. A body betrayed.
“Thank you to Dimplybean for helping create the image by making me a custom intestine it was so lifelike, Aaron thought it was real when he first saw it and said it was disgusting 😂 which is exactly what I was aiming for!”
We were honoured to craft a custom silicone intestine prop for this shoot, lifelike, grotesque, and weirdly emotional, once placed in context. The end result? A hauntingly beautiful image that has just been awarded Highly Commended by the Society of Photographers.
And Aaron?
He nailed it.
He’s now not only a coeliac warrior, but also a standout model for a cause that desperately needs more visual attention.
Celiac disease isn’t always visible.
But its impact is internal, often silent, and devastating.
The Forbidden Feast image doesn’t just communicate discomfort. It uses art, props, and personal experience to confront people with a visceral truth. This is what it feels like when your body turns against its own system.
The intestines used in the shoot were made from platinum-cure silicone, custom painted and textured to replicate real biological matter.
Want one for your next shoot or medical training project?
You can find [Item 503: Harvest Bag I-200] under the Props & Decor section
We love when weird meets meaningful. This shoot reminded us that horror isn’t just about scares—it’s also about truth, transformation, and telling difficult stories in strange, visual ways.
Huge thank you to Shona and Aaron for letting us play a small role in your journey. 💚
View the full image on Instagram: @shona_dickson_photography
Explore more biological props: dimplybean.com
Stay weird. Stay soft. Stay synthetic.
🧬
—Archive_Operator_Δ