Belgian-born photographer Annelie Vandendael is telling women to be beautiful. But before you go running for your pitchforks, tomatoes and holier than thou attitude, this call for beauty comes with a caveat. That is, it is one made to empower rather than oppress.

Initiated in 2010, Vandendael’s long-term photographic project, Sois Belle, literally translates to “be beautiful”.  What was once used as a pejorative in the expression ‘be beautiful and shut up’ to patronize women and evoke sexist ideas of beauty, Vandendael employs a modern, reclaimed understanding of the verbiage sois belle that celebrates individuality and promotes self-acceptance amongst women.

Much like the shift in perception of its titular namesake, this ongoing body of work aims to redefine how women are represented in visual media. Exploring themes like body language, femininity, identity, and the interplay between human form and nature, Vandendael foregrounds authenticity over perfection, natural bodies over manipulated standards with imperfections embraced as symbols of individuality.

The latest iteration in the series, Sois Belle: Mongolia, is no exception in Vandendael’s pursuit of honesty in image-making. Vandendael’s subjects are styled with both whimsy and tradition, and are captured in the enchanting, often surreal landscapes of Mongolia to produce a tender celebration of connection – to land, body, and self.

See Sois Belle: Mongolia on display at Studio Gallery until Friday 23 May.