Body, an Ode to the Female Body

Over the course of 16 months, Lotte van Raalte photographed 46 women, aged 13 to 94, in their most natural form. The result is the launch of her first photography book, ‘BODY’. BODY is a documentation of the observant photographer’s encounters with these women – a celebration of individuality, life and the beauty found in both vulnerability and strength. An ode to the female body. Lotte van Raalte, photographer, comments:

“With my photography, I’m always on a quest for candid in-between-moments. It takes genuine interest and care to capture people in their most authentic and free way of being. BODY originally started as research towards the female body. Each time I photographed someone, I was left fascinated, curious and inspired at the same time. I think my fascination with the female body comes from different angles: the fact that women are dominantly sexualised and unrealistically portrayed in the fashion, movie and music industry. The fact that the female body is the carrier of new life, and the tremendous impact that has. And, last but not least, the fact that I’m a woman myself.”

The book and exhibition is a strong reflection of Lotte’s stand on body representation and the female gaze in the world of photography. As part of an empowering new wave of awareness, she hopes the images will be seen in the context of current projects challenging previous representations and perceptions surrounding the female body – as a celebration of diversity.

Credits

Photography and words LOTTE VAN RAALTE
www.lottevanraalte.com
www.instagram.com/lottevanraalte
The book will be available for online purchase here: https://lottevanraalte.com/ book

Lotte van Raalte is a constant observer driven by a sincere curiosity and remarkable empathy. It’s with this approach that Lotte achieves her intimate and crisp compositions, firmly encapsulating her unique gaze in her pictures. No matter who is in front of her lens she always captures their individuality – with an infectious feeling of empowerment. Lotte’s work spans from athletes in action for adidas, smiles for Stella McCartney, introducing a new visual style for Arket, to school children in Cape Town. Alive and real. She has an eye for tactility and utilises nature, bringing a tangible and relatable quality to her work. With an ongoing stream of commissioned projects – including her directorial debut for Ace & Tate – Lotte is not one to stand still. With multiple in progress personal projects, an interest in womanhood, sustainability and education rights continues to inform her work. In 2020 she released her first independent photography book and a solo exhibition, BODY, receiving appraisals from the likes of i-D and Wallpaper magazine.