When Daneline Swarts lost her hearing after contracting meningitis at the age of 10, she never imagined that decades later she would become the face of an international photography exhibition celebrating beauty, resilience and disability.
Now, after more than 40 years as part of the deaf community, Swarts is among 17 women from across the Western Cape featured in the South African edition of the internationally acclaimed Bold Beauty Project.
Photographed by some of the country’s leading photographers, the women are challenging perceptions of disability through powerful portraits that celebrate confidence, individuality and dignity.
The exhibition, titled As She Is, opens on Wednesday as part of the HEAT Arts Festival, with 33BREE in Cape Town serving as an official festival venue.
Originally founded in the US by Shelly Baer and Dr Eva Ritvo, the Bold Beauty Project has gained international recognition for using photography to spark conversations about disability, inclusion and representation.
Swarts, who Max Bosanquet photographed, admitted she felt both excited and nervous before stepping in front of the camera. Wearing a striking black sheer gown for her portrait, she hopes her story will encourage others living with disabilities.
“I hope to inspire people living with disabilities to know that it is not the end of the world. I am excited about this project and can’t wait to see our photographs displayed in an art exhibition,” she said.
Known in her community for her compassion and commitment to service, Swarts enjoys hairdressing in her spare time and works as a cashier at Lief en Leed. She also cherishes spending time with her husband, whom she met at the Nuwe Hoop Centre for the Deaf in Worcester, and their son.
For fellow participant Keisha Johnson, who lives with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that causes muscle stiffness mainly in the legs, being part of the project marked a turning point in her journey of self-acceptance.
Photographed by Radcliffe Roelse, Johnson is a model, academic, athlete and business owner whose biography describes her as someone passionate about empowering others.
“Participating in the Bold Beauty Project became a meaningful step in my journey of self-acceptance. For the first time, I posed confidently with my crutch, overcoming vulnerability with the support of my team,” she said.
Jaret Loggenberg, managing director of The Artists Gallery and 33BREE, said the South African chapter of the project was born of a meeting with Ritvo at an Ubuntu Foundation business breakfast.
“Her dream was to bring the Bold Beauty Project to South Africa and Africa. This was a perfect opportunity for us. Three years ago, we opened The Artists Gallery on Bree Street and, 18 months later, launched 33BREE as a dedicated space for meaningful exhibitions and community projects. We aim to give back while supporting local African artists,” she said.
Loggenberg believes art has the power to transform attitudes.
“Art has the unique ability to challenge perceptions without raising its voice. The Bold Beauty Project is not about disability; it is about visibility, dignity and celebrating remarkable women exactly as they are. We wanted to honour women who do not always receive the recognition they deserve.”
Most of the portraits were photographed at the Artscape Theatre Centre. Loggenberg credited disability activist and Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux, who served as co-curator and mentor, with helping photographers, stylists and participants tell authentic stories.
“Her insight as someone living with a disability, together with her lifelong advocacy for visibility and dignity, has been foundational to everything the Western Cape chapter of the Bold Beauty Project stands for,” she said.
Le Roux said people with disabilities should never be viewed as problems to be fixed or hidden away.
“This project is about sensuality, strength and the radical act of accepting yourself fully, every challenge, every scar and every story. To live with a disability is to navigate a world that was not built for you, and yet here we are. This exhibition gives voice to that truth through art. It says: ‘Look at her. See who she is. As she is.’”
The exhibition, As She Is, is open to the public at 33BREE in Cape Town. It forms part of the HEAT Arts Festival programme celebrating Women’s Month.
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