My Disguise

Normally we try to hide our shortcomings, place a mask of satisfaction on our faces and dress in appropriate clothes before stepping out into public. Photographer Dana Stölzgen’s poetic images, however, reveal the aspects that usually remain hidden: the ageing body and the vulnerability that comes with it.

“I photographed women of my own age, in their mid-thirties. Why? Because by this age, we know ourselves a little and we are still able to reinvent ourselves. We’re not sure of the future and we feel insecure. Our bodies are changing, but remain desirable. We have already suffered some inner or outer wounds, and so we are fragile. It was all of these moments in the life of a woman that I wanted to convey – not through words, but through photography.”