NATURAL WOMEN is a collection of sophisticated portraits by young & aspiring photographer Dainius Ščiuka. Inspired by photographer Peter Lindberg, It is a journey of authentic femininity, paving a way to a different perception of female beauty, void of stereotypes & prejudices. This exhibition is a tribute to WOMEN – real, active, courageous women with stories to tell and immense self-confidence. It took Dainius 9 months to arrange this exhibition and it was first opened in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Mass media relentlessly contaminates the public opinion on what the perfect woman is like. A slim waist, perfect hair, plump lips, perfect skin – no matter what it takes. These purely physical features are exalted, masquerading as the most important core values. The phenomena of narcissism in the era of social media, selfies & Kim Kardashian is more prevalent than ever. Photoshop & the cosmetics industry have equalized and cloned the image of the perfect woman, it has become easily recognizable, predictable and boring. According to various surveys, only 2% of women worldwide actually feel beautiful, while young girls strive to fit the conventional “perfect woman” standard set in society. Representing one’s self as a perfect, emotionless porcelain doll has seemingly become the norm. Is femininity really nothing more than Vanity Fair?

The NATURAL WOMEN exhibition is a series of thematically sensitive, visually impressive and genuine portraits which feature unique, interesting Lithuanian women who do outstanding work in a wide array of fields.

Classic black & white portraits allow us to distance ourselves from the desensitized modern understanding of beauty. On the contrary, they emphasize the importance of individuality, character and authentic appearance.