News
- Julianne’s portrait exhibition, ‘Empowher’, focuses on empowering women of all ages and backgrounds.
- Her creative process involved researching characters for women and making many of their costumes herself.
- The exhibition features 44 women transformed into diverse characters, from mythological goddesses to historical figures.
Julianne, a passionate photographer originally from the UK, has long nurtured a love for portraiture. After completing the New Zealand Diploma in Photography (Level 5) through SIT’s distance learning faculty, she was encouraged by a fellow student to continue with the Level 6 qualification. Julianne’s excitement reached its peak when she saw the exhibition paper. “The moment I saw the exhibition paper, paper 608, I said, I’m in.”
Unlike some students who find exhibitions intimidating, Julianne embraced the challenge. “I’ve been living for this exhibition, I’ve been so excited about it... It’s the highlight of the programme.”
Julianne’s love for portraiture blossomed during her Level 5 studies, where she worked with young local models to create a mythical-themed portfolio. Inspired by that experience, she expanded the concept to include women of all ages. "While doing this, it occurred to me, wouldn’t it be lovely to open this up to women of all ages?" she said.
Her exhibition, ‘Empowher’, features 44 women, each transformed into characters ranging from Egyptian and Greek goddesses to Steampunk enthusiasts and historical queens. Julianne personally crafted many of the costumes and worked closely with each woman to choose their character. "Most wanted me to pick something for them. My process was to work with them." A team of three make-up artists, including Julianne’s daughter Ellie, helped bring the characters to life.
Julianne emphasised that the focus of the portraits was not beauty, but empowerment. “My fully inclusive message is to accept yourself, but you have to admit they do all look stunning.” She has a deep understanding of women’s insecurities about beauty, urging others not to compare themselves to others but to embrace their unique selves.
Her creative choice of using black backgrounds and low-key lighting symbolises the women "stepping out of the shadows to be seen." For many participants, this was a deeply personal and new experience. On opening night, the women expressed their emotions to Julianne, many saying they “felt seen for the first time.”
Reflecting on the exhibition’s success, Julianne described the opening night as “one of the best days of my life,” filled with loved ones and emotional feedback. She also expressed her gratitude to Whare Taupua Gallery for offering their space free of charge, enabling her to share her vision with the community.
With just one paper left to complete her diploma, Julianne is eager to continue growing her photography business, About-Face, while balancing her role as Southland’s Outreach Co-ordinator for Autism New Zealand. Her ultimate goal is to create portraits that make women feel empowered and beautiful at any age.
The ‘Empowher’ exhibition runs at Whare Taupua Gallery, Invercargill, until Saturday 21st September.