For the images not to be perceived as sexist, Elisabeth Ohlsson Wallin photographed the women’s breasts separately – a black-and-white photo which they then held in front of their torsos. This allowed them to be fully clothed and still display their breasts. The idea was to create a protective effect in order to focus on the power of the images. Today, to be able to display your breasts is not a given.

The pictures were taken in aid of Bröstcancerfonden (the Breast Cancer Association) for their project Klämkalendern 2016. When Kulturen in Lund created this exhibition that same year, four writers contributed with their thoughts about the photographs and the depiction of the female body. Their texts are quoted in the exhibition and can be found in their entirety in the catalogue.

The Museum of Women’s History have added more thoughts on what breasts are – political, dangerous and harmless. Are breasts ever just – breasts?

The photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, born 1961, is self-taught. She got her first job as press photographer at the local paper in her hometown Skara. After a period at the newspaper GT (Göteborgs Tidningen) in Gothenburg she left daily press to start her own company in Stockholm. A large part of her business consists of her own projects which are portrayed in exhibitions. Her most famous exhibition is Ecce Homo from 1998.

Texts in the exhibition

Anja Petersen, PhD in ethnology and education officer at Dunkers kulturhus
in Helsingborg.
Linda Fagerström, art critic and art historian.
Julia Skott, journalist, author an MA in Film Studies.
Helen Fuchs, PhD and lecturer in art history at Halmstad University College.
Member of the think tank Humtank.