Female Gaze (From “Du und Ich” Series)

I have been influenced by role models such as Francesca Woodman and Nan Goldin in my portraits of women. They showed me how a sensitive portrayal of intimate nudity without objectification is possible. The female portrait has long been dominated by male and binary-gaze systems, so it is all the more important that female artists show their view of the female body. It is no secret that we are surrounded and influenced by male-dominated images. It is all the more important to break this dogma and show society in its diversity; the female-gaze approach gives this idea a name.

These three pictures of women show friends and fellow students who I photographed with my analogue camera in their homeland or place of residence. All three women have very different life stories. Claudia moved to Germany from Ghana and is currently studying acting in Munich. I met Leonora and Eva at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg. All three women and I are connected by our artistic activity and interest in art. The images still touch me today and I am grateful for the encounter.