Artist presentation

Natascha Auenhammer

Born in Vienna, studied law, became a professional photographer and is active as an independent photo artist since 1990 with particular emphasis on Portraits, conceptual stills and studies of the human body

Since 2012 member of the Wiener KÜNSTLERHAUS,

Since 2013 ESHPh European Society for the History of Photography

Solo exhibitions, selection: Galeria Laurus Lovran Kroatien - Bad Ischl Kulturhaupstadt - Einbildgalerie - Triest Photo Days curated by Martin Parr 2020, Susan Meiselas 2022 Islip Art Museum Long Island NY USA International Ocean Art Festival Jeju, COREA – Stift Klosterneuburg - Rotlicht - Open cave Aquarium - Lola Lik Amsterdam - Rencontres d'ARLES - Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography Barcelona Cameron Award - Croatian House of Photography Zagreb

Publications: 104.068.800.000/60 sec Die Werkschau von NATASCHA AUENHAMMER Fotografische Spuren photographic traces, Das Busenbuch

2024 Winner at Foto Nostrum Portfolio Award

2023 Black & White magazine’s Looking Back - Looking Forward contest

2023 Spider Awards Black & White Honorable Mention in Nude, Nominee in Fine Art

2022 Honorable Mention at the TOKYO International Foto Awards, sichtbar.art Schweiz

2021 Black & White Merit Award, Smartphone Contest Winner, One Eyeland Finalist Mobile Journalism, Siena Creative Photo Award, Honorable Mention in the 2021 Tokyo International Foto Awards

2020 The Worldwide Photography Gala Award FotoNostrum

Artist statement

According to the Four Elements theory of ancient natural philosophy, all materials and beings were made up of the four elements: earth, water, air and fire (and sometimes, additionally ether or void). A similar ancient Chinese system proposed the five elements metal, wood, earth, water and fire, whereby these elements were seen more as energies than materials.

In this project Natascha Auenhammer concerns herself with these elements as the basis of life. Each of the elements is portrayed as a triptych of analog photographic variants – Triptychs of the Elements:The Elements of Life - Living Elements

Elements – Stone, Earth, Water, fire, things, that we meet everyday in nature, put in connection with the human body.The pictures show the search of the “missing link”, the sympiosis between Body and Element, between Living and Notliving.

Stone, peculiarly shaped by nature

Fire, fueled by man

Sand, that changes man's expression

Straw, bound by man into a form

Water, the most erotic and vivid of all elements,

All this is the basis for this work.