There are still a few men in the world that think "big" is beautiful and Ivorian painter Augustin Kassi is one of them.

An exhibition celebrating full-figured African women opened in the Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan. Augustin told BBC News:

"I wanted to fight the corner of so-called 'big' women who in their day were disliked and even imprisoned by the attitude they weren't beautiful." 

Kassi's work is not only beautiful but has been noticeably recognizable among his peers as well as around the world. He is receiving rave reviews for his courage to show that 'big' women can be beautiful in the art sense as well and has built a reputation as one of the country's leading Ivorian contemporary artists.

“I took the stand to say: ‘No, you’re beautiful – that’s how God has created you. Take care with what you eat, do a little sport, and we love you.' I love them,” Kassi told the BBC.

Check out some of the beautiful paintings below:

To view the full gallery, click HERE.