Lilli Waters’ Anja series confronts the fears and stigmas associated with the perceptions of womenʼs bodies in todayʼs world of unrealistic and idealised standards of how women ʻshould lookʼ. “I am not interested in sexualising the form of my subjects, but am on a quest to find self-compassion, and emotional awareness, in both myself and in my audience,” explains Lilli. “Photographing these women helps me in my search for these things, and perhaps helps my subjects to find a moment of self acceptance and recognition, which is deserved and should be encouraged much more within our culture.

There’s a lot to expose in terms of the way we have internalised sexism and sexualised aggression. I feel like, as a photographer, I am a witness to women’s conditioning, and I’m trying to offer a different perspective. In my work I want to awaken a preferable alternative. My message is therefore transformative, supporting a questioning of the norm.

Anja is about an ongoing exploration of women’s potential, the expansion of their perceptions of self. This series is a search for self-awareness and compassion by reconnecting to our place in the natural world through vulnerability and discovery.

Signed with artist signature, print edition number + title