Fabulous Figures

Part of these exhibitions was to express the affect negative and positive words, the stories of who we are have on our self-esteem. These exhibitions were created to breakdown the stereotypes of what beauty is and rebuild a new vision of female beauty. This new vision is about rebuilding the foundations of women’s self-belief system, by accepting their unique features and being proud of who they are. It is about the strength and vulnerability that comes with sharing our stories and being brave enough to show the world who we are, scars and all.

“Every damn day I am proud of my body. I am absolutely okay with my body being whatever shape it was, the shape it is, and the shape it will come to be. I enjoy that the way I am, is the way I think. I don't subscribe to someone else's system of values that degrades my sense of self-worth. And I sure as hell do not subscribe to our societies preoccupation with the over-capitalised, over- consumed beauty myth. Be kind to yourself and be kind to others.”

- Terri Lethlean (Far left)
📷 COFFEE+HOPS PHOTOGRAPHY
WITH sISTERS (l-r) deb allan, Jennifer Catenacci + hayley ford

“I really love my body at any size and how strong and capable it is. I would describe my relationship with my body as very good. I had a mother who never didn’t not like her body and that really helped. Being comfortable with who you are is not defined by size.”

- emily mills
📷 deelightful photography

“In the last couple of years I have learned to accept what I have and be grateful I am alive, but I don’t think I do celebrate my body instead feed it to make myself feel better. I love my smile. I use it often without thinking. It’s amazing how many strangers smile back. I’m not perfect but I am a perfect me.”

- tessa king
📷 Melissa Cooney Photography

“Self-love goes hand in hand with acceptance. It means recognising that you’re not a perfect being, no one is. I think positive body image stems from realising that to achieve happiness you must make one of two choices: acceptance, or change for the better. If you choose to change, then I believe that if that choice is solely based on something as artificial and temporary as appearance, then happiness won't stick. I personally found that when I shifted my focus to - ‘I want a strong body, I want to be fit, I want to be a positive role model for my children, I want to be healthy and nourish my body’, I take time out to exercise for my mental health I feel radiant. If you focus on establishing a strong “why” or foundation for your goals, everything else will follow. Love yourself and love your journey.”

- Angela Atkinson
📷 SarahHearts Photography

“I would not describe my body as strong it lets me down in crucial moments when I need to be strong and tall. I had to rely on others to get me out of a domestic abuse situation many years ago. All I had to do was walk out the door. I couldn't even stand up. He told me I'd never succeed and never get to where I wanted to be. My relationship with my body is improving. I spent far too long hating my body when I should have been accepting and nourishing it. When I think of positive body image, it is loving the skin you're in. It looks like confidence, it feels like comfort waking up and knowing it's all going to be okay.”

- Felicity Huxhagen
📷 Leah McLean Photography
art by breekatehudson

“I’m happy with who I am and how I look, it definitely comes from within yourself. I do feel insecure sometimes. I have said negative words to myself like, ‘OMG look at that butt’. I know I’m not perfect, but what is perfect? Somebody once told me that perfection is boring and I do agree.”

- Inge Hilhorst
📷 Deanne Woods Photography

“My body has stood up to some real tests, including accepting a new organ, and I am still here to tell the story. I don’t feel comfortable with my size at the moment I have put on 15 kilograms after my transplant and am feeling frumpy. Though, even now, I can look at myself and think I look nice. The last time I felt proud of my body was last year for healing so well. I don’t really worry about how others perceive my body rather I worry about my actions and words and how they are perceived. My favourite parts of my body are my scars and curly hair.”

- Gemma Hamelink
📷 Melissa Cooney Photography

“Yes, I am comfortable with my body. But it's taken me decades to get to this point. I made a decision about two years to undergo a gastric sleeve procedure. It was a huge decision that I struggled with for a long time. Do I “cheat' or do I keep trying and failing to lose weight, and be happy and healthy? I've very quickly learned this operation isn’t cheating and it's a lot of hard work to balance nutrients, vitamins, protein, water and everything else. Because you're eating so little food, you need to be so aware of what you're eating and when. But it's given me peace with my body and the confidence to do more things with my kids, be more active and just more confident as a person and a professional. I've never really thought about celebrating my body. It's always been something I've fought with, or tried to hide or been ashamed of. Perhaps now is the time to find a way to celebrate it. I think my body would be working to forgive me for all the terrible things I've put it through, and I'm working to love it for what it has to offer.”

- Mel Maddison–Stanton
📷 sarahhearts photography

“

This photo of me is pure courage. Many of the words painted by artist breekatehudson were words I have used to hurt myself. I can’t count how many times I have called myself fat or dumb. Then there are the words other people have used - ugly, hormonal, lazy and hysterical. However, the words that make me feel strong and beautiful such as brave, gorgeous, resilient, kind and capable reminded of why I decided to develop this project.

We all have moments of light and shade when it comes to the words we use to tell our stories. As women, now is the time to empower ourselves and believe in the strength and beauty of our bodies, faces and minds.

Fabulous Faces and Figures aren’t perfect they are real.”

- just saying project founder, fallon drewett
📷 coffee+Hops photography
art by breekatehudson

“There have been many occasions I have disliked my body but I realised that I disliked certain things about my body because of what was depicted in the media as the ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ woman and that to be a woman was to be strictly feminine. The media never used to be as diverse as it is now. Growing up I can't really remember a time where I turned on the TV or flipped through a magazine and saw ‘me’. What I love most about my body is my sun kissed skin and I nourish my body by earthing. I spend so much of my time during the week at work indoors with shoes on that I try to make sure that I get embraced by the sun, get grass on my bare feet and swim in the ocean when I can.”

- Kahmaia Haines
📷 Leah McLean Photography
art by breekatehudson

“I'm always proud of my body especially as I have carried it this far with my age. My body and I have a great relationship, I don't complain about it and it doesn't complain about me. My mum taught my nine sisters and I to accept what we have and what we are. You have to love yourself first then you can love others. I don't have the perfect figure but I have used my imperfections to learn more about styles and fashion and what would look good on me. It is a challenge to look forward to with feeling great the end result.”

- Vivien Hanrahan
📷 Deanne Woods Photography