unWRAPped

Naked deals with the role of the portrait as a character representation. For this I portrayed famous American rappers. Hip hop is known to be a genre in which "blingbling" and "branding" play a major role, as do certain gestures and postures. The lyrical poetry of rap is wrapped, so to speak, in a strongly masculine body language and clothing. "Naked" is an attempt to detach these artists from the masquerade.

In doing so, I staged the images according to the models of portrait painting of the 16th and 17th centuries. The moment of portraiture is also of special tension, because as a woman I ask these artists getting topless in front of my camera


Poses that are unusual for themselves, but let tell more about their personality. The effect of the unusual and unfamiliar triggers a sometimes very fragile reaction. This fragility, which is evident in many, embodies a form of femininity. A calm and serenity that underlines its relation to poetry. At the same time, one sees these bodies as one never gets to see them otherwise. This private insight allows the discovery of many a story told by their bodies and faces.

I have been working on this series since 2010.
Exhibitions: New Art Salon Foundation (Germany/2021), Medienkulturhaus Wels (Austria/2021).