My Original Face

2019 - 2020

First published in conjunction with the author’s photographic series of the same name at the Venice Biennale 2019

I grew up in post-war Germany, watching my parents work tirelessly to rebuild a life for themselves and for us, their children. I absorbed their strong work ethic and social consciousness, along with the values of the society around us: diligence and discipline, punctuality and precision, order and perfectionism. Compliments were rare; complaints were not tolerated. My childhood reflected Nietzsche’s words: “What does not kill you makes you stronger.”

Then I left Germany. Traveling as a photographer through the Americas, I found myself in unfamiliar places—both geographically and psychologically—forcing me to question everything I had known about myself. Doubt consumed me. Nothing felt certain. And I confronted a question: Why had I chosen to work in the Americas and not in Germany?

The answer was simple. Away from home, I could be anonymous. I could make mistakes without judgment. I could connect with others while rarely having to answer questions about myself. And when I did, I had a generic, superficial response.

But not long ago, I realized I no longer wanted to live that way. Only honesty—with others and with myself—could allow me to move forward. To let go of the constraints of my past. To be free.

My photographic project, My Original Face, is a reflection of who I am today. It captures the emotions of a time marked by change and loss—a transformation that led to self-acceptance and the freedom I have found.

It took me 55 years to be myself.

How long will it take you?