Challenging traditional beauty ideals: the liberating power of body art

Meet multi-disciplinary artist and entrepreneur Bethany Perry who, using mixed media, painting, digital collage and intimate body impressions, skillfully captures the essence of the feminine spirit and emotion. She has exhibited in galleries such as the renowned contemporary Boomer Gallery in London, The Mondrian Curtain Club, Reem Gallery and Nova Fine Art, and her work has been showcased at major art fairs like Battersea and Hampstead Affordable Art Shows. Now she is offering body positive art workshops for women in Hungerford.

BETHANY Perry is offering women something out of the ordinary that puts a new perspective on the phrase ‘body of work’.

This multidisciplinary artist/entrepreneur from Hungerford runs body positive workshops.

Under her guidance, participants explore the power of body impression art through group workshops or private sessions. Each experience is designed to help them connect with their bodies, embrace self-acceptance and create unique and meaningful artwork.

“My work is all about celebrating the human form through personalised, hand-embellished body impressions, working one to one with women and these impressions,” Bethany tells N2.

Her decade of experience as a makeup artist in the beauty and fashion industry, where she worked with celebrities and high-end editorial shoots, led Bethany to critically reassess conventional beauty standards.

“I realised that the polished and perfected imagery I was contributing to was ultimately harmful to women’s and teenagers’ self-worth and self-esteem. This realisation prompted me to step away from the industry and shift my focus to work that promotes self-acceptance and confidence.

“My art is rooted in empowerment, self-acceptance, and challenging traditional beauty ideals.”

Through the process of creating body impressions with oil and pigment, workshop participants explore body positivity in a deeply personal and creative way – many find it to be a transformative experience that fosters confidence and well-being.

“It normalises bodies and softens how we see our own,” Bethany explains.

“When I worked as a dancer, (Bethany worked for a while as an exotic dancer) I was in these settings several times a week, and it completely transformed my confidence and relationship with my body.

“Seeing the impact these workshops have had has been amazing – women have even stopped me in the street to share how much the experience helped them and how empowered they felt.”

Participant Anna Hall’s positive experience certainly endorses this: “The workshop gave me the space to celebrate my journey and connect with other women who were there for their own reasons but shared a common goal; to embrace their bodies, flaws and all.

“It was such a liberating experience, and it’s something I’ll carry with me for a long time.”

In her own artwork, Bethany explores the liberation of self-expression through her powerful and imaginative creations. Using various mediums such as mixed media, paintings, digital collage, and intimate body impressions, she skillfully captures the essence of the feminine spirit and emotion.

Her work delves into overcoming conditioned fears and beliefs, navigating the delicate balance between abstraction and naturalism to reveal the unfiltered beauty and empowerment found in embracing one’s true self.

Bethany has exhibited in galleries such as The Mondrian Curtain Club, Boomer Gallery, Reem Gallery and Nova Fine Art, and her work has been showcased at major art fairs like Battersea and Hampstead Affordable Art Shows.

Her workshops developed initially working one-on-one with women, but this year Bethany felt compelled to create group workshops “because there’s something incredibly powerful about sharing space with other women – semi-clothed or nude – in a safe, supportive environment”.​

She runs her Women’s Group Workshops in Hungerford.

They are a “a personal and guided body impression experience tailored entirely to your comfort level,” says Bethany.

“Whether you choose to be fully nude, partially nude, in underwear, lingerie or fully clothed, this session is about your journey and feeling at ease in your own skin.”

Alternatively, she offers one-to-one Private Body Impression sessions.

These workshops offer a powerful way for women to reconnect with their bodies, challenge beauty standards, and embrace self-acceptance.

“I’m looking to expand these workshops to other towns and cities, but for now, my home base is Hungerford.

“If you’d like to learn more about me and my work, you can find everything on my website www.bethanyperryart.com

“Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!”