Diana Scheunemann | New York

Diana Scheunemann’s photography is alive with sensuality and emotion. She was born in 1975 in Germany and educated in Switzerland. Scheunemann has since spent a decade travelling and capturing the scenes from her life with provocative honesty. Her instinctive desire to pursue photography has taken her across the globe in search of stimulating imagery.

Diana Scheunemann is in demand for advertising and editorial campaigns, as well as celebrity portraits. Her most interesting pieces are the portrayals of her private life, and she retains an unparalleled intimacy with her subjects saying: “My work is very autobiographical.” Building up a rapport and having intimate knowledge of her subjects allows her to explore various possibilities; sometimes tragic, but often uplifting and comic images emerge. Scheunemann’s familiarity with her subjects was established at an early age: “I vividly remember the first picture that I ever took of my mother in the bathroom when I was eight.”

Scheunemann’s spontaneous style generates an unusually idyllic view, which demonstrates her skill and experience from the flawless world of fashion photography. Citing her “Exotic and, at times, extreme lifestyle” as an influence for her work, Scheunemann’s talent for photography developed naturally: “I can’t remember ever wanting to do anything else.” Scheunemann’s trademark style creates an atmosphere that is both relaxed and professional. Erotic imagery is ever-present in Scheunemann’s work, yet the utopian nature of her work reminds the viewer that it is an idealised representation of youthful sexuality.

Scheunemann has numerous ventures on the horizon, including a decade long project entitled Behind My Face. The project is a photo-diary that was originally conceived in 1999. Scheunemann’s aims for Behind My Face are to document every day of her life through self-portraiture. “I want to write the book of my life as the most exciting thing to read.” Scheunemann’s work will continue to explore the inherently personal themes that have been the driving force behind her work for the past decade. Her uncompromising approach to visual arts encourages viewers to question the boundaries between utopia and reality.

Alice Roberts
Aesthetica