A new photography exhibition opening in Cape Town this Women’s Month is asking audiences to reconsider what beauty looks like, not by redefining disability, but by shifting the focus to the women behind it.
The Bold Beauty Project, an internationally recognised initiative that celebrates women living with disabilities, is making its African debut with As She Is, a photographic exhibition featuring 17 women from across the Western Cape.
Rather than centring disability as the defining aspect of each participant’s identity, the exhibition presents intimate portraits and personal stories that highlight confidence, resilience, ambition and individuality.
The result is a collection of images that challenges long-standing stereotypes about beauty, representation and visibility.
Originally founded in the United States by Shelly Baer and Dr Eva Ritvo, the Bold Beauty Project has gained international recognition for using portrait photography to spark conversations about inclusion and dignity.
The project has been exhibited internationally, including at the 61st Venice Biennale, before being reimagined for a South African audience.
Marlene le Roux II
For the local edition, respected South African photographers collaborated with women from the Western Cape to create an entirely new body of work that reflects the lived realities and diverse experiences of women with disabilities in South Africa.
The exhibition’s co-curator, disability rights activist Marlene Le Roux, believes the project challenges society to move beyond limiting perceptions.
“Persons with disabilities must never be reduced to problems to be fixed or hidden from view,” she said. “This project is about sensuality, strength and the radical act of accepting yourself fully — with every challenge, every scar, every story.
“It says: Look at her. See who she is. As she is.”
At a time when conversations around diversity and representation are becoming increasingly important, the exhibition shines a spotlight on a group that remains underrepresented in mainstream media, fashion and the arts.
Instead of portraying disability through pity or inspiration, As She Is invites visitors to engage with each woman as an individual whose identity extends far beyond a diagnosis or physical condition.
Jaret Loggenberg, managing director of The Artists Gallery and 33BREE, said the project aims to create lasting conversations about visibility and inclusion.
“Art has the unique ability to challenge perceptions without raising its voice,” he said. “The Bold Beauty Project is not about disability; it is about visibility, dignity and celebrating remarkable women exactly as they are.”
The exhibition also reflects a growing movement within the arts to amplify voices that have historically been overlooked, using photography as a means of storytelling rather than documentation alone.
As South Africa marks Women’s Month, As She Is serves as a reminder that representation is not simply about being seen, but about being seen authentically.
Through powerful portraits and deeply personal narratives, the exhibition encourages audiences to question narrow definitions of beauty and embrace a broader understanding of identity, confidence and humanity.
As She Is opens on August 5 at 33BREE in Cape Town’s city centre and runs until August 29.
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