Ira Thiessen's works are characterized by a sensual, very personal materiality and tangibility, with a strong symbolic use of colour. The reference to materiality runs through the oeuvre of the artist, who was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 1983. Her artistic interventions are based on the examination and questioning of her origins and family history. Her works oscillate between staged and documentary photography. Origin/family, tradition/culture are presented as identity attributes that can no longer be dissolved through materiality.
Ira Thiessen lived and worked in Berlin for several years, where she studied artistic photography at the Ostkreuzschule. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Germany and abroad with her work. She was awarded the Lotto Brandenburg Kunstpreis für Fotografie in 2015 and has enjoyed publications in the Guardian and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

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