An internationally acclaimed photography project that has been exhibited around the world, including at this year's Venice Biennale, is making its African debut in Cape Town with a new exhibition celebrating the stories of 17 women from the Western Cape.
Titled As She Is, the month-long exhibition brings the globally recognised Bold Beauty Project to South Africa for the first time. Opening on Wednesday, August 5 at 33BREE as part of the HEAT Arts Festival, the exhibition features newly commissioned portraits by acclaimed South African photographers, accompanied by the women's own personal stories.
Rather than centering disability, the exhibition invites visitors to see the women first - their individuality, confidence, resilience and humanity - while challenging conventional ideas of beauty and representation.
Originally founded in the United States by Shelly Baer and Dr Eva Ritvo, the Bold Beauty Project has gained international recognition for using photography to spark conversations about inclusion, dignity and visibility.
Its latest international milestone was its inclusion in the 61st Venice Biennale, where it formed part of the Personal Structures – Confluences exhibition at Palazzo Mora alongside more than 150 artists from over 40 countries.
The Western Cape edition marks the project's first exhibition on the African continent, reimagined through a local perspective.
"Art has the unique ability to challenge perceptions without raising its voice. The Bold Beauty Project is not about disability; it is about visibility, dignity, and celebrating remarkable women exactly as they are," said Jaret Loggenberg, managing director of The Artists Gallery & 33BREE.
"We are honoured to bring this internationally acclaimed project to South Africa for the first time and to present the powerful stories of seventeen extraordinary women from the Western Cape through the eyes of some respected photographers."
Loggenberg said the exhibition was developed through close collaboration, with disability activist Marlene Le Roux serving as co-curator and mentor throughout the project.
"This exhibition has been shaped from the ground up through genuine collaboration... Her insight as a disability activist and her deep advocacy for visibility and dignity have been absolutely foundational to everything the Western Cape chapter of the Bold Beauty Project stands for."
Le Roux said the exhibition seeks to change how people see disability.
"Persons with disabilities must never be reduced to problems to be fixed, or hidden from view. This project is about sensuality, strength, and the radical act of accepting yourself fully with every challenge, every scar, every story."
"This exhibition gives voice to that truth through Art. It says: Look at her. See who she is. As she is."
Presented as a non-profit initiative, As She Is aims to promote inclusion and awareness through visual storytelling while celebrating diversity as an essential part of society.
The exhibition runs throughout August at 33BREE in Cape Town's city centre, with free admission for the public.
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