RECLAIMING THE BODY
On desire, resistance and self-determination
ARTIST STATEMENT
BEGINNINGS
In 2016, Beatrice Behn and I came across a New York Times feature on the Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas and the consensual BDSM master–slave relationship with their wife, Mollena Williams-Haas. It was immediately clear to us that exposing such an intimate aspect of an established and renowned composer’s life would spark considerable controversy. Unwilling to let this complex story of self-determination be told solely by sensationalists, we decided to reach out to them ourselves.
This encounter eventually led us to create the 93-minute feature documentary “The Artist and the Pervert” (2018). During the process, Georg asked me a question that has stayed with me ever since: “Are you truly living the life you want?”
That question marked a turning point — it reshaped not only my understanding of my life and work, but also the way I inhabit and relate to my own body.
BODIES AS NARRATIVES
As a trans person, my relationship with my body has been complex and constantly evolving. For many years, I experienced it at a distance — accompanied by discomfort and disassociation. Practices within kink and BDSM, particularly rope bondage, became a way back into presence: through negotiated sensation, trust, and attention, I began to reclaim bodily autonomy.
This personal journey naturally informs my artistic practice. Bodies are my primary focus — not as objects of aesthetics, but as sites where identity, memory, vulnerability, and resistance are enacted and negotiated. In times when bodily autonomy remains contested, approaching my work from a place of self-determination and provocation feels both necessary and urgent
My process is adaptive and responsive. Some projects are carefully structured, while others emerge more organically. What remains constant is curiosity: staying open to what arises in the moment and allowing deeper meanings to surface through the act of making.
Collaboration is central to my work, as bodies are always in relation to their surroundings. I reject the outdated paradigm of the passive muse. The people I work with are creative partners, bringing their own perspectives, intelligence, and presence. Trust and connection are essential; I don’t cast — I work with those I know and respect, or who spark my interest. Whether in film or photography, alone or with others, my practice remains consistent: creating conditions where something unstaged can emerge, where bodies can articulate what language alone cannot.
RECOGNITION & BACKGROUND
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Diploma in Visual Communication
- Bauhaus-University Weimar, 2007
Professional Background
- Award-winning Art Director (commuication & design)
- Visual artist & filmmaker
Embodied Practices
- Butō Dance Research developed through workshops and exchange with Yumiko Yoshioka, Marlène Jöbstl Butō, Ken Mai
- Japanese rope bondage (Shibari) developed through deep exchange with Addie Tahl, Akechi Kanna & Kagura, Caritia, Ceci Ferox, Georg Barkas, Mamana, Murasaki Haruan, Naoko, Sophia Rose
CURRENT WORK
Based in Berlin, creating film and photography work that explores bodies as narrative—sites of identity, transformation, and political resistance.
Co-founder of Karada House Berlin (2019-present) – A queer community space dedicated to rope bondage, performance, and embodied practices. Over six years, Karada House has become an established institution in Berlin’s alternative art scene, hosting hundreds of workshops, performances, and community events while centering queer and trans bodies.
Teaching Shibari internationally, emphasizing consent, safety, and embodied practice.
Open to proposals for projects exploring body, identity, and non-normative expression.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Solo Exhibitions
- Collected Works – Karada House, Berlin (2019)
- Collected Works – Boutique Bizarre, Hamburg (2017)
Group Exhibitions
- Exhibition in the course of Porn Film Festival Berlin – Moviemento (2016)
- Erotic Art Photography – Photobastei, Zürich (2015)
PERFORMANCE
- Renbaku Salon – Public Shibari Session with Murasaki Haruan & Naoko (2025)
- Room 916 – 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin (2025)
Site-specific Shibari performance series for hotel’s 11-year anniversary - (R)Open Stage – Karada House Berlin, with Mara Gelato (2025)
- Queerope Intimate Sessions – with Sophia Rose & Mara Gelato (2024)
- Beirut Midnight Performance – Beirut, Lebanon (relocated online due to political discrimination, 2023)
- Trans*mutation – Karada House Berlin Opening (2023)
Hook suspension performance exploring trans embodiment and transformation - Multiple performances – Karada House Berlin (2019-2025)
TEACHING
- International Special Guest – Bogota Shibari Week, Bogota, Colombia (2026)
- Fesseln für den inneren Frieden – TAZ Lab, Berlin, Germany, with Mamana (2025)
- Tie Me Up – Natural Instincts Festival, Stuttgart, Germany, with Caritia (2025)
- Shibari & BDSM Workshops – Beirut, Lebanon (cancelled due to censorship & political discrimination, 2023)
- Co-Teaching with Sophia Rose – Queerope, Karada House (2022 – ongoing)
- Shibari Beginners Intensive Weekend – Karada House, Berlin (2021 – ongoing)
FILM
The Artist and the Pervert (2018)
Feature Length Documentary
- Co-directed with Beatrice Behn. A 93-minute feature documentary exploring composer Georg Friedrich Haas and kink educator Mollena Williams-Haas—their relationship, artistic practices, and consensual BDSM dynamic.
Academic Mentions
- The film has been cited in scholarly research on race, BDSM, and consent by:
- Ariane Cruz – author of The Color of Kink: Black Women, BDSM, and Pornography (NYU Press), who cited the film as one of three works marking “a juncture in the academic study of race and BDSM”
- Christa Brüstle – Professor of Musicology and Gender Studies, Kunstuniversität Graz
- Avgi Saketopoulou – psychoanalyst and author, analyzing the film’s approach to trauma and desire
Awards
- Best Documentary – Pornfilmfestival Berlin (2019)
- Best Documentary – DeReel Independent Film Festival, Australia (2019)
- Best LGBTQIA Film – DeReel Independent Film Festival (2019)
- Best Documentary – Fish & Chips Film Festival, Torino (2019)
- Best Documentary (Audience Award) – CineKink, New York (2019)
Selected Festival Screenings
- Hot Docs Toronto (2019)
- DOC NYC, New York (2019)
- Raindance Film Festival, London (2019)
- Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Greece (World Premiere, 2018)
- Porn Film Festival Berlin (2019)
- Hollandfestival Amsterdam (2019)
- Durban International Film Festival (2019)
- CineKink New York (2019)
Press
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – FAZ Feuilleton Review
- Deutschlandfunk Kultur – “Sklavin und Muse”
- Seventh Row Interview (2018) – In-depth conversation on documentary ethics and consent
- POV Magazine Review – “Opens up a fascinating conversation about power dynamics”
Locked (2016)
Experimental Short Film
Award
- Best Experimental Short Film – CineKink, New York (2016)
Selected Screenings
- CineKink Tour (NYC, Chicago, Miami, Oakland, Portland, 2016)
- Porny Days Zürich (2017)
- La Fête du Slip Lausanne (2017)
- Erotic & Bizarre Art Film Festival Barcelona (2017)
- Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival (2017)
Jasko Trying Hard (2015)
Short Film
Screening
- Porny Days Zürich (2017)
LET’S CONNECT
Interested in collaborations, exhibitions, or learning more about my work?
I’m always open to conversations with fellow artists, curators, and curious minds.