Issue 21 – In Conversation with .. 10!

In what ways do you think the media’s
portrayal of body image is changing?
The constant influence to optimize yourself is the
most toxic thing happening in the world right now.
There is no perfect life, and we shouldn’t lose the
ability to fail, because it backfires. Balance is the
key.
What role do you believe your book plays in
the ongoing conversation about body diversity
and acceptance?
It’s just a tiny part of what I am doing and also
nothing new. Beauty standards have dictated our
society since the beginning of mankind, but still, it
seems we don’t get any wiser, and maybe that’s
just how it is. That doesn’t mean we can’t try to
make the world a better place. It’s always about
doing something. Nothing is worse than standing
still.
Can you tell us more about the personal texts
included in the book and how they complement
the portraits?
I asked five writers from Berlin to contribute to
the book. The results are very personal, and they
created beautiful texts or poems that enrich this
project tremendously. I want to create a safe place
for the people who look through the pages and
ideally recognize themselves.
What was the most challenging aspect of
bringing “BIGGER” to fruition?
Since it’s so personal for me, I tend to selfsabotage
my work and try to escape the mirror
I put up for myself. That really was the hardest
part, to just keep on going, even on days when
I just wanted to delete everything and ignore
everyone. Facing yourself is the hardest thing in
the world. Working as an artist, I feel this burden
even more. I have to keep it going and put it out
there; otherwise, I would wither away.
What led you to select the hosting writers for
the personal texts, and what perspectives do they
bring to the book?
I rather let other people talk and let them show
or present themselves; I am just curating. That’s
my art, bringing people together and creating
a platform. Their perspectives in the books are
helping us to find voices we all have inside of us
but were trained to ignore, voices that say we are
not so different on the inside, and we are allowed
to be different on the outside.
Could you describe your experience studying
at Ostkreuzschule and how it shaped your
photographic style?
I learned that a beautiful photo is not enough.
What do you want to say? Do I want to be an
artist or a decorator?
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