Andreas Paulsson
Andreas Paulsson is a trained building engineer and massage therapist, but since 2005 he has worked as a self-employed photographer and filmmaker. In his career, he has photographed Swedish Hollywood Wives climbing Kilimanjaro and warmed his camera over an open fire just to be able to take photos north of the Arctic Circle in minus 30 degrees. He loves diving into new projects and experiences he has never tried before.
We Are All Naked (Alla är vi nakna) is Andreas Paulsson’s solo debut book, though he has also photographed the cookbook Opera & Pastries (Opera & Bakverk) by the well-known tenor Rickard Söderberg.
The book We Are All Naked has inspired a feature series in the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, in which several Norwegian men and women reveal their bodies and share their thoughts on body ideals. It is a book that feels especially necessary today, in a time when body shaming is widespread and many people dislike their bodies due to prevailing beauty standards.
In 2023, the book won the prestigious Orfeo Imago 2023 Award, honoring outstanding contributions to LGBT art and photography, presented by ILGCN and TUPILAK.
Instagram: fotografandreaspaulsson
Underneath your clothes
As we navigate through life's journey, we don't merely don clothes but also assume diverse roles. We allow ourselves to be defined by gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, age, abilities, profession, culture, family ties, fetishes, and more. This intricate interplay can eventually make it challenging for those we encounter to see beyond their preconceptions.
If, instead, we aspire to authentically connect, we must lift the veil of societal expectations and liberate the individual behind the scenes.
Within the exhibition, we encounter each other both adorned in, and stripped of, our societal roles. Despite the variations in our naked forms, it is in that vulnerability that we truly share common ground. We are all, fundamentally, exposed.
Commentary & Context
The book, a photo anthology featuring people both clothed and unclothed, explores themes of identity, clothing, vulnerability, and the human form. It invites reflection on how societal roles are expressed through attire and what is revealed when these are stripped away.
It was featured prominently at events such as Stockholm Pride’s Pride Park and World Pride 2021, bringing visibility to the project’s exploration of body norms and identity.
At one exhibition, a library visitor was provoked by an image from the series, prompting them to deface the photo—highlighting the emotional and provocative nature of the work
Original title: Alla är vi nakna
Author: Andreas Paulsson
Publication: Tallbergs Förlag, August 2023
Rights sold: All rights available
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