Kathrin Linkersdorff’s deeply poetic images are inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi, which focuses on the beauty of the imperfect and fleeting. Presented here comprehensively for the first time, the pictures from the series Fairies capture fading moments of transience with the lightest possible touch. Caught between the impression of old masters’ still life or vanitas paintings and cool, dissecting abstraction, they build a mysterious fascination.
Photographer Kathrin Linkersdorff (*1966 in Berlin) is one of the most promising recent discoveries in Germany. She started her career as an architect. A job related multi-year stay in Japan provided important influence for her work. »With their captivating clarity, her works are reminiscent of Karl Blossfeldt’s photographs of plants. Their aesthetics refers to photographs by Edward Weston.« wrote Barbara Esch-Marowski (in a text for the first exhibition of the images,“Draussenstadt”, presented in public spaces in Berlin in the fall of 2020).
“I am interested in the impermanence of flowers as a metaphor for the cycle of life. My photographic portraits fathom every living organism’s essence and hidden structures.” (Kathrin Linkersdorff)
Exhibitions
Galerie Springer, Berlin, until 25.9.2021, Angermuseum Erfurt, »Flowerpower«, 27.6.–17.10.2021, Flora Fotografica
Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Phoxxi, 14 October 2023 – 14 January 2024
Selected Press/Media (so far German only, sorry)
Deutsche Welle, 6/2021 – About the beauty of decay
3 sat Kulturzeit 14/2/2022 – Bookreview of the “Faries”