Bio

Nadja Ellinger is a visual artist interested in the oral tale as a way to explore new narratives offside the path. She was born in 1993 in a small medieval village in the middle of Germany. Spending most time in the forest and books she fell in love with fairy tales, folklore and storytelling. After completing her bachelor’s degree in photography at the University of Applied Science in Munich, she studied for her MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art in London from 2018 to 2020.

Nadja’s work was exhibited and published in the UK, US, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Germany, and France. Most recently she exhibited at the Copenhagen Photofestival 2021, OpenWalls Arles 2021 and the Ashurst Art Prize 2021 in London for which she is currently shortlisted. She worked on commissions by clients such as Vogue USA, the British Design Museum and more.

Artist Statement

Fairy tales have centuries-old history and can be found in all cultures. Although today often only a single version of a fairy-tale type is popular, there are actually usually hundreds of variations. Through the process of storytelling and re-telling, they continue to develop, consolidate and absorb cultural and political developments.

My practice builds on this aspect of retelling, using the fluid character of the fairy tale to develop new variations and narrative structures. In collaboration with my protagonists, a personal narrative is created. The story thus becomes a transitional object: An inner world is projected into the forest. Through this outward-everting, an experiential and shared space is made possible. Here the protagonist can meet and experience themselves and each other through the act of playing in the double sense of the word: as the childlike engagement in a game as well as the acting a part.

Exhibitions (selection)

• SEP 2021 Path of Pins
  Palazzo Rasponi 2, Ravenna, Italy. Solo.
• AUG 2021 The gaze
  Glogauair, Berlin, Germany. Group.
• JUL 2021 OpenWalls Arles
  Galerie Huit, Arles, France. Group.
• JUN 2021 Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize 2021 Shortlist Exhibition
  Ashurst, London, UK. Group.
• JUN 2021 Uncensored exhibition
  Copenhagen Fotofestival, Copenhagen, Denmark. Group.
• MAY 2021 The Dreamer exhibition
  Millpiani, Rome, Italy. Group.

• OCT 2020 Previews
  Blech – Raum für Kunst Halle e.V.Halle, Saale, Germany. Group.

• AUG 2020 Vantage Point Sharjah 8
  Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Group.

• AUG 2020 Ginnel Festival
  Ginnel Collective, Ipswich, UK. Group.
• AUG 2020 With fists, it kicks, it bites
  Graduate Show, Fitzrovia Chapel, London, UK. Group.
• JUN 2020 Camera Work / Off
  Palazzo Rasponi 2, Ravenna, Italy. Group
• MAY 2020 “Lost in Isolation”
  Online exhibition, Void Collective. Group
• MAY 2020 “Ginnel 20 – At your place”
  Communal exhibition around the globe. Group
• FEB 2020 “Losing ground”
  Photographic project space, Royal College of Art, London, UK. Group
• MÄR 2019 “Other identity”
  Genova, Italy. Group
• OKT 2018 “The devil you don’t”
  Aeon gallery. Richmond, United States. Group
• JUL 2018 “The Family of No Man”
  Cosmos Books. Arles, France. Group
• MÄR 2018 “10 im Quadrat reloaded”
  Farbenladen. Munich, Germany. Group