In Her Words, featuring about 50 works, opens to the public on Saturday. 

It celebrates seven female artists who are in control of their own story, while also drawing attention to the gallery's existing feminist photography collection.

Guest curator Olivia Poloni said she was invited to draw works from the gallery's collection.

"The show is about giving female photographers the chance to tell their story, so the photographers featured are known for capturing other women," Ms Poloni said.

"I was thinking about who the women are in our society to show a broad story, so we have in it first nations' stories, migrant stories, queer stories and themes of childhood and motherhood and domesticity.

"I hope visitors can see the great breadth of women photographers that have practiced, and are still practicing, photography in Australia. We have a strong representation, and it's just about celebrating that."

Melbourne-based photographer Clare Rae has two of her 2012 self-portraits featured at this exhibition. She said she tried to present the female body in ways that were awkward and uncontrolled.

"Women are often portrayed as sexual objects in the media," she said. 

"Often we accept those images unthinkingly and I realised what was being reflected back at me wasn't aligning with my experience as a woman. I've taken these photos of myself in awkward and slightly precarious positions, and I guess I'm trying to express an experience of femininity that's quite uncomfortable."

Ms Rae said she was excited to be part of the exhibition.

"All the people who have contributed are ones I really look up to and admire. People like Anne Ferran - she's an artist who has inspired me a lot in my career, so I think it's such a good opportunity to connect with those pioneering women artists with works in the Horsham collection," she said.

"There are also works by Hoda Afshar, who is an Australian-Iranian photographer, who makes really incredible work about the representations of marginalised people. 

"It's just an amazing opportunity for audiences to get a really good overview about what women are making art about, and the issues that are really pressing right now."

After ending its Horsham run on May 19, In Her Words will travel to Geelong, Swan Hill, Wangaratta and Queensland galleries in partnership with National Exhibitions Touring Support Victoria.