STYX Projects Berlin will present the first German solo exhibition of Iwajla Klinke, a Berlin based photographer and filmmaker. It will largely consist of one of her series, “Ritual Memories”, as well as related photographic works.
At the heart of Iwajla Klinke’s work is a fascination with the sacred and the ways in which it manifests itself in bodily adornments. The work utilizes classical portraiture as a departure point for exploring the cross-sections between identity construction and spirituality. Her subjects typically appear shirtless or nude, stylized with accessories denoting ritual and devotion, though the signification can rarely be assigned to one single faith. Her costumes serve as appendages to the bodies of her subjects, and can take the form of carnal matter (fish, birds, badminton balls and worms have all been used) or traditional ritual cloths and silk. With their stern gaze and often classical poses, the works call to mind early Netherlandish portraiture. In sum, they seem to have emerged from some parallel universe, spirits from an after-life that is markedly human in design.




















Source: STYX Project, Iwajla Klinke