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Writer's pictureMonica Blignaut

Stefanie Langenhoven


Artist 266

Stefanie Langenhoven

The Feminine

Photography


Stefanie Langenhoven is a South African artist who specializes in photography revolving around the concept of womanhood and it’s representation.

The way she represents the female body is unpolished and non-confining, challenging the patriarchy’s traditional feminine fantasy.


“It’s really about taking hold of our own femaleness, and not having to fit into a ‘man’s world’ by either submitting to men or becoming more like men,” Stephanie explains.



Stefanie’s subjects often appear nude or in various stages of undress. She’s drawn to unusual shapes and textures, and prefers working with a subtle colour palette.



Her intention is to challenge the way the female form, which she perceives as innately pure, is sexualised and objectified by the media. “My images express the internalisation of objectification and distorted idealisation of the female body,” says the artist, whose work deals with her personal journey around self and body acceptance. “It is very personal, but I feel that many woman can relate to this.”


Her art practice explores and deals with the feminine aspect of the psyche. Her aim is to find a voice for the feminine through photography.



Stefanie explains, “I am curious about how self-image, body image and perceptions of the feminine self becomes distorted through what is being mirrored to us in a society that is so obsessed with the female image.


I am hoping to touch on the intangible and allow the imagination to find space to not just see and be fed an image, idea or belief but be drawn into, feel and discover. Throughout my work, I explore themes of death, fear, love transformation, gender, relationship, and dreams.”



The eerie and yet beautiful portrayal of the female body in her works really fascinates and I feel the hidden faces evoke a power. In that vein I choose not add Stefanie’s photo unlike how I normally introduce artists.




Sources Consulted


https://www.transvaluepainintolove.com/

https://10and5.com/2016/09/21/stefanie-langenhoven-is-reframing-femininity/

https://www.celesteprize.com/stefanie.langenhoven

https://www.lensculture.com/stefanie-langenhoven

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