Oulu Museum of Art

The winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2011, South African Jodi Bieber's photographs of women and their beauty.

South African culture is an intricate mixture of older African culture and Western culture. These cultures have also a different concept of beauty. Image processing makes it possible to create perfect images of people everywhere in the world. Regardless of nationality, women can feel insecure compared to these women with no wrinkles or spots.

Bieber wanted to photograph women on their own terms, in their own surroundings. Surprisingly many models volunteered, and Bieber decided to photograph them all. The result is a beautiful series of portraits of women of different ages and body shapes.

Real Beauty is an independent part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma's ARS 11 exhibition. Real Beauty is produced by the Oulu Museum of Art and Northern Photographic Centre, and curated by Alla Räisänen, D.Phil.