Psoriasis: The Naked Truth launches in Sydney today with a dramatic photographic exhibition by renowned photographer, Stephen Dupont. The exhibition is an Australian-first community awareness initiative exposing the devastating physical, emotional and mental impact of living with psoriasis.

Mr Dupont's exhibition is the centre-piece of the initiative and features the personal stories of Australians with psoriasis who have bravely bared their skin to increase public understanding of the condition.

Mr. Dupont said: "The focus of my photographs is to communicate the person behind the psoriasis. I wanted to show their pain, but also their hope, their love of life and the beauty of the person behind the condition."

"The beauty of photography is that it enables the subject to express the humanity of this unsung condition, while capturing the respect and dignity of people living with psoriasis in all their vulnerability."

The exhibition will be housed at Wynyard Park from Monday 25 October to Thursday 28 October and will be on display at Westfield Bondi Junction and Chatswood from Friday 29 October to Sunday 31 October. The photos and the participants? emotional stories can be accessed at Psoriasis: The Naked Truth Web site.

The Psoriasis: The Naked Truth exhibition features ten men and women from ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia with moderate to severe psoriasis, some with isolated skin patches and others covered from head to toe. The participants bared their skin and a part of themselves to help the Australian community realise that psoriasis does not have to dictate your life, but to understand the hurdles the people who have it have to overcome.

Psoriasis: The Naked Truth is funded and created by Wyeth Australia with the cooperation of Psoriasis Australia, Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia and Skin and Cancer Foundation Victoria, who welcome such a distinctive approach in supporting Australians with psoriasis and raising awareness of the conditions among the general public. It is estimated that over half a million Australians suffer from psoriasis

The exhibition coincides with World Psoriasis Day on Friday October 29.