Chances are, the series of photos making up Japanese photographer Haruhiko Kawaguchi’s Flesh Love are seared into your mind with how extraordinarily uncomfortable they made you, and how terrifying we assure you they still are. Featuring couples, often naked or close to naked, vacuum sealed in to plastic bags in various awkward positions, the series by Kawaguchi (professionally known as Photographer Hal) was an attempt to explore the idea of preserving intimacy in relationships.

Now, in 2016, Kawaguchi returns with a update to his Flesh Love series, somehow talking more couples into being vacuum sealed in plastic for 10-20 seconds (a longer period of time would risk damage to the subjects’ health) and being photographed for Kawaguchi’s art. Notably, the Japanese photographer now appears to have changed his formula somewhat, with his subjects appearing, for the most part, fully clothed and in seemingly normal, everyday settings. Given Photographer Hal’s history of subject matter and creative narrative, it would appear likely that the artist attempts to highlight the embrace and preservation of love and intimacy in everyday life, contrasting the artist’s previous spotlight on the preservation of intimacy in a more private setting.

Still, the images are no less terrifying and claustrophobia-inducing than the photographer’s previous set. Find the set above, and hit the artist’s website for more.

• Words: James Schofield