In her book I AM, German photographer Angelika Buettner celebrates the beauty, strength and authenticity of women over 40. Through intimate and powerful portraits, she explores maturity, the body, self-confidence and our relationship with nudity – with a sensitivity that resonates deeply with the values of naturism in France.
NATURISME.FR had the pleasure of interviewing her to understand her journey, her inspiration and her vision of the natural female body.
"I AM": giving visibility back to women over 40
Angelika, who are you and what inspired you to create I AM?
I have been a professional photographer for over twenty years. I have worked in fashion, beauty and advertising, mainly in Europe and the United States. Working in these highly codified worlds, I gradually became aware of the almost total absence of women over forty in the images that surround us.
I AM was born out of this realisation, but also out of a personal questioning. As I grew older myself, I wondered what would become of our relationship with our bodies when society stopped looking at us.
I felt the need to create a space where mature women could be seen fully, without filters, without retouching, without roles to play.
Authenticity is central: simply being oneself, without seeking to meet external expectations, is already a powerful act.
Nudity as a language of freedom
What role does nudity play in your work?
Nudity is a language.
It frees us from social codes, from clothing as markers of age, status or role. In I AM, it is never sexualised. It is calm, direct, almost meditative.
It allows us to approach maturity not as a decline, but as an anchor.
A naked body is not an exposed body: it is a body that exists.
Since the beginning of my career, the female artistic nude has been part of my visual language. I have collaborated on body painting, illustration and various artistic expression projects. For me, nudity is a form of sincere expression.
Naturism and photography: shared values?
Have you ever worked with women who practise naturism?
I have not worked in an institutional naturist setting, but some of the women I photographed practised naturism or were very comfortable with nudity. Others were experiencing it for the first time.
What struck me was that, regardless of their experience, the values of respect, simplicity and equality were always present. These are the values that matter most to me.
Natural bodies, self-confidence and a peaceful gaze
Do you see a link between naturism and celebrating women in their authenticity?
Yes, definitely.
Even though I don't claim to be a naturist, I feel close to this philosophy: that of a body freed from judgement, comparison and sexualisation.
Naturism, like I AM, offers a peaceful view of the body. It normalises diversity in shapes, ages and histories.
In both cases, the body becomes a space of truth rather than an object to be corrected.
An invitation to rethink our perspective
Through I AM, Angelika Buettner does not simply photograph bodies: she tells the stories of women who embrace their age, identity and natural beauty.
Her work invites us to think differently about nudity, maturity and bodily freedom.
It also shows how naturism can be a way of inhabiting one's body with confidence and serenity.
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