In her long-term project The Averted Portrait, photographer Corina Gertz develops a radically new form of portraiture that consciously departs from traditional conventions. Her photographs depict women in traditional clothing, mostly from behind or in profile, so that their facial features remain hidden. It is not the individual but the cultural identity, posture, and language of the clothing that take center stage.
Gertz understands the portrait not as a psychological depiction, but as a space in which lived history, belonging, and cultural practices become visible. Through this deliberate staging, the garments themselves become carriers of history, identity, and social belonging; skin color, face, and body proportions recede, revealing a cultural memory embedded in fabrics, patterns, and craftsmanship.
Many of the garments shown are heirlooms, rich with history, tradition, and familial significance. They embody knowledge passed down through generations and reflect social, aesthetic, and political narratives. By concealing the face, Gertz frees her subjects from the expectation of expressing personality through facial expression. Instead, viewers are invited to delve into the textures, embroideries, and forms. In this way, she creates a sensitive portrait of collective identity—between personal belonging and societal context.
Gertz’s artistic philosophy is founded on respect, mindfulness, and encounter. She does not work as a distant observer, but as someone who approaches people and their cultures with the utmost care. Through systematic cataloging, she creates a visual archive that is far more than a documentary collection: her visual language enhances the impact of the garments as expressions of cultural diversity and highlights their emotional and political dimensions.
In Germany, Gertz encountered traditional costumes often associated with local pride but also nostalgic projections; she removes the folkloric layer, presenting them as timeless expressions of a living culture. In China, she encountered a wide variety of ethnic groups whose garments carry coded messages—about family bonds, life stages, or spiritual affiliations. The colors, patterns, and handcrafted structures of Chinese traditional dress function as autonomous visual signs, embedded in a long tradition of craftsmanship. In Romania, she discovered a special closeness between clothing, ritual, and familial heritage: many blouses were passed down over generations, each seam stitched by mothers and grandmothers, making the clothing a living connection between past and present.
Corina Gertz’s photographs make visible what is often overlooked or marginalized and create spaces for reflection, empathy, and appreciation of cultural difference. Her work is a powerful visual testament to diversity, memory, and respect—central values of a democratic society. They celebrate cultural identity as the foundation of democratic life, reveal the hidden with dignity, and invite viewers to immerse themselves in the stories and memories woven into fabrics, patterns, and craftsmanship.