What is beauty, really – and who is allowed to feel beautiful?
This question occupies many women, especially when their reflection changes over time. With my art project "Am I beautiful?", which I launched together with Karin Kahofer from the Munich beauty institute Das Damenstift, I wanted to show: True beauty begins within ourselves – with self-love, inner strength, and feminine radiance.
It was an artistic experience full of emotion, portraits with heart, staged femininity, and an invitation to see oneself anew – not through a mirror, but through the loving gaze of art.
Karin had the idea to create an unforgettable day in her institute – with styling, photography, art, and a message that comes from the heart. I was allowed to showcase the women, to stage them as glamorous heroines – and in doing so, to make visible something that often gets lost in everyday life: their inner glow.
Because I firmly believe: Every woman is beautiful. Sometimes it just takes the right setting to recognize that again.
1. How did the art project "Am I beautiful?" come about?
The best ideas often arise in conversations among women who understand each other. This was also the case with Karin Kahofer, the founder of "Das Damenstift" in Munich. For years, she has been accompanying women on their journey to more well-being, self-confidence, and radiance – with sensitivity, style, and genuine dedication. And she is a passionate art collector. Many of my paintings hang in her rooms and accompany her clients daily.
One day she said to me: "Let's do something special. Something that touches people."
Thus, the idea for our art project "Am I beautiful?" was born – a day full of staging, real encounters, and lived femininity. We wanted to redefine beauty: not as an ideal, but as an expression of personality and inner luminescence.
Prominent women like Judith Williams or Claudia Effenberg were present – but also clients of Das Damenstift who dared to step in front of the camera that day. Styled, cared for, and celebrated – as every woman deserves.
I didn't just want to depict them beautifully, but to make them shine. In their gazes, in their posture, in the moment they recognized themselves again – perhaps for the first time in this way.
2. Why self-love is the key to feminine beauty
When I paint women, it's not about a realistic depiction. My art is not a mirror of external appearance – it is a stage for what lies beneath: the radiance, the presence, the inner glow of a woman.
I don't paint wrinkles, no photorealistic portraits – I paint posture, pride, sensuality. For me, every woman is a protagonist on her own life stage. And that's exactly what I want to make visible: not how she looks, but how she can feel when she looks at herself with loving eyes.
Especially in the project Am I beautiful? this was so moving to experience. I saw how women transformed as soon as they felt accepted – as a woman, as a human being, as a personality. This transformation deeply moved me.
"I don't paint the surface – I paint the glow that comes from within."
Because for me, beauty is not a state, not a question of age or measurements. It is a decision. And my art aims to accompany, strengthen – and make visible – precisely this decision.
3. Self-love as a creative force – What I myself have realized
Of course, I also know those days when you doubt yourself. When you feel alienated in your own body or suddenly look too critically in the mirror. Am I beautiful? – This question is not only asked by other women. I have also asked myself this question. Again and again.
But I have learned: Beauty begins where we treat ourselves with love.
For me, self-love is like an inner garden. You have to tend it, water it, sometimes redesign it. And you have to learn to rest in it. Not everything grows by itself – but much blossoms if we look closely.
In a world that constantly tells us how we should look or function, self-care is almost an act of rebellion. For me, however, it is above all a return to myself – to my own radiance.
With my paintings, I want to remind people of exactly that. They are like mirrors that do not judge, but affirm: You are allowed to feel beautiful – right now. Just as you are.
4. The event at the beauty institute Das Damenstift: How women radiate through art
It was a day straight out of a movie. Already in the morning, there was a special buzz in the air – anticipation, curiosity, a touch of glamour. At the beauty institute Das Damenstift, everyday life transformed into a stage. Hairdressers from Lipperts, make-up artists, elegant dresses, artistic lighting moods – everything was prepared to showcase women as they had perhaps never seen themselves before.
What was particularly important to me: Every woman should feel like a diva. Regardless of whether they were prominent personalities like Judith Williams or Claudia Effenberg – or a client who stood in front of a professional camera for the first time. For me, there were no differences. Beauty has nothing to do with fame – but with charisma.
I saw how they blossomed. How restraint transformed into joy of life. From these moments, photos were created – and later personal commissioned works that not only show a face, but preserve a memory: of a day when they met themselves anew.
5. Beauty & Responsibility – Why I support KARO e. V.
Beauty and self-love are not just personal topics – they are also political. Because a woman who feels valuable will not tolerate degradation, humiliation, or violence. That's why it was a matter of the heart for me to donate a portion of the proceeds from our art project "Am I beautiful?".
The choice fell on KARO e. V., an association that has been working for years to help women and children who have been victims of forced prostitution, abuse, and exploitation – across borders, courageously, with dedication. What deeply moved me: Here too, self-love is at the heart of it. Because it is the first step towards a self-determined life.
The 1,400 euros that we were able to contribute through the project may only be a small amount – but they stand for something larger: for connectedness, for hope, for the strength to blossom again. And for the conviction that art can do more than just be beautiful.
6. Why beauty for women in midlife needs to be redefined
Many women know this subtle feeling of becoming more invisible with age. The gazes change, the ideals remain young – and suddenly beauty seems to be equated only with youth. But that is a lie that I strongly contradict with my art.
Especially women in midlife carry a depth, an experience, a dignity within them that cannot be overlooked – if you look with your heart. Of course, bodies, facial features, proportions change. But that doesn't mean that the radiance fades. On the contrary: It can become more powerful, clearer, and more beautiful over time.
It's not about avoiding time. But about accepting your own change – and actively shaping it. Between self-acceptance and self-development lies a space where beauty can grow anew.
My message is: The best time begins with the most loving gaze – at yourself.
7. FAQ - Frequently asked questions about beauty, self-love & women's portraits
What does beauty mean beyond external perfection?
True beauty has nothing to do with flawlessness. It manifests in radiance, joy of life, and inner connection. Women who accept themselves begin to glow – regardless of age or ideal measurements.
How can art help to develop self-love?
Art creates emotional spaces where women can see themselves anew. A stylized portrait can say more about us than a mirror – it reminds us of what we often forget: our inner glow.
Why is self-love so important especially for women over 45?
Because many women in this phase of life struggle with invisibility or self-doubt. Self-love is the key to feeling oneself anew – not as younger, but as more whole.
How is an individual women's portrait created by Ekaterina Moré?
From a personal conversation, stylish photography, and an artistic sense for what makes you unique. It's not about a mere depiction – but about radiance.
👉 On my page Commissioned Works you will find much more information, examples, and answers to frequently asked questions.
8. Beauty begins within you – and deserves to be seen
This project has once again shown me: Art can be more than a picture. It can be a reminder – of your inner glow. Of the power that resides within you. Of the radiance that may have become quiet – but was never gone.
I invite you to see yourself anew. With loving eyes. With courage for femininity. And perhaps with a portrait that not only shows how you look – but how you want to feel.
👉 In my online gallery, you will find original paintings that make this inner radiance visible.
And if you wish for your own women's portrait: Here you can find out more about my commissioned art:
➤ To the blog article "Commissioned Art – Personal Women's Portraits by Ekaterina Moré"
