Unmasking

Unmasking examines the conflicted self, how we hide and protect ourselves while longing to be understood. It forces confrontation, rips off the bandage, yet can never fully succeed, leaving us suspended in the tension between withholding and expressing.

(What happens if we reveal ourselves?)

I haven’t slept much these last few days. My head is buzzing – heavy from exhaustion. „What do you want to express? What’s the message you want to convey?”
I don’t know what to say.
And smile it off.

Social masking is defined as the process in which a person hides parts of themself in plain sight. Often adopted subconsciously, it aims to present a version of oneself that fits in while suppressing what is perceived as socially or culturally inappropriate, against the norm, or “wrong”. The authentic self, one's wishes and needs, thoughts, or emotions are disguised - often in an attempt to feel loved and accepted.

A danse macabre of secrets in step. A whirling and spinning of concealed selves with carefully constructed stories.
There are things we don’t want others to see.

“Pull yourself together,” you’d tell yourself… “Shapeshift!”

Unrest,
a state of rebellion.
A condition.

Maybe I am that burning house.

I am not merely a passive observer. You can see me, captured within the “Augenblick“, a momentary glimpse in which the observer becomes the observed. The camera is not innocent, nor am I. My self is the eye, perpetually seeking to decipher what doesn’t want to be understood, what is hiding in the shadows, too timid to walk onto the stage.

What happens if we reveal ourselves? And dive into a realm, far underneath the flesh. To open doors and create spaces where perception is malleable and boundaries dissolve, where new connections are free to emerge.

To rupture, Self between fragments. And images, while meaningless in isolation, may be a constellation of hinges. An inner landscape, that if surrendered, a pathway to proximity.

Oscillating between moments of self-revelation and self-concealment, “Unmasking“ delves into the enigmatic nature of the self, seeking to dive beneath the veneer of societal expectations, and judgments, including my own. It’s about matters of the heart, about alienation and the never-ending longing for wholeness.

There is beauty in entering the void, too.
Diving into, dissolving in nothingness and withdrawal.

But what happens if we reveal ourselves?

“Unmasking“ aims to go beyond mere observation, astray from capturing what meets the eye. Transcending the constraints of rational thought. Instead, stumbling into a deeper, more primal understanding of the world, … and each other.

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Artist Statement

Sina Muehlbauer is a Berlin-based photographer and artist with a strong focus on Subjective & Conceptual Documentary, Narrative & Portrait Photography as well as experimental editing techniques, digital & analogue.

Sina’s work is driven by a deep desire to see, feel, and understand the social dynamics of urban realities. Through her lens, the German artist with Colombian roots is a perceptive and gentle observer – unveiling depth and meaning in human interaction.

It’s not just individual moments in time, that spark her interest but the people, each on their own journey, and in reflection: to allow the viewer's story to shape the gaps, to open up a realm of interpretation in volatile proximity.

Sina's artistic journey is deeply shaped by the intersections of visual language and human experience. Grounded in the belief that storytelling has the power to bridge divides, foster empathy, and illuminate urgent social issues, she approaches photography as both an intimate and documentary practice. Her recent projects explore themes of identity, memory, and social change, blending documentary techniques with immersive, personal engagement with her subjects.

By turning her lens both outward – toward her subjects – and inward – toward herself – Sina embarks on a symbiotic journey where self-revelation intertwines with the experiences of those she portrays. This exploration is guided by intuition, allowing her to uncover authenticity in moments of vulnerability. Her work delves into subjective truth, using imaginative compositions, metaphorical elements, and experimental analogue and digital editing techniques to create an inner landscape that connects individual experiences with universal aspects of human nature.

A minimalist aesthetic defines Sina’s visual language, emphasizing careful composition, negative space, deep blacks, close-ups, and simple backgrounds. This stripped-down approach directs the viewer’s attention to the emotional core of her subjects, fostering an atmosphere of intimacy and depth.

To her, photography is not merely a means of documentation but a medium for expressing what words cannot. Abstract elements, unconventional angles, or symbolic references create layers of meaning, guiding the viewer into a space where perception is fluid and open to interpretation. Black-and-white photography, in particular, serves as a tool to strip away the distractions of reality, honing in on and punctuating the raw essence of a moment.

Sina’s photography is deeply personal, an intuitive exploration of emotions, memories, and the unseen forces that shape human existence. With insatiable curiosity, she uses the camera to navigate the complexities of being, capturing moments that transcend words and reach into the depths of feeling.

While previous series turned outward to document others' vulnerabilities, "Unmasking" turned inward, challenging the artist to confront the layers of self-concealment accumulated over time. Social masking – the suppression of one's true self to fit societal expectations – became a central theme. Through a fusion of self-portraiture and external subjects, the artist crafted a visual narrative that questions authenticity, identity, and the fear of exposure.

Sina’s approach remains deeply instinctual. The camera is not a tool of control but an extension of her presence – observing, absorbing, and allowing emotions to unfold organically. There is no forced direction, no scripted poses, only an invitation for subjects to exist as they are. This method fosters a symbiotic exchange, where the act of photographing becomes a shared experience rather than a one-sided gaze.

Through "Unmasking," Sina questions the boundaries between self and other, between concealment and revelation. These works do not seek to provide answers but to provoke introspection, inviting viewers to navigate their way to be seen – by others, by oneself, and by the lens that bridges the two.

Sina studied Communications & Film (M.A.), Cultural Philosophy and Psychology at Leipzig University. Artistically, she pushed her self taught practice by successfully graduating an intensive 1-year program at Ostkreuz School of Photography (Berlin) as well as from several courses at ICP (NYC). Most notably, she completed workshops by and received mentoring from Antoine D’Agata (Magnum) as well as Michael Grieve (Agence VU’, Artfotomode) and Dylan Hausthor (VOID, Guggenheim Fellows), and was named a FRESH EYES Talent by GUP Magazine. She is also the proud Second Price Winner of the international 2025 Gomma Black and White Awards and recently featured with a cover on L’Œil de la Photographie magazine.

Sina has lived in Spain, and New York City, and is currently based in Berlin. Her work has been exhibited and published internationally.

Please see website for CV or further below: https://www.sinamuehlbauer.com/bio

Press:

“Sina’s work is emotionally daring and conceptually rich. Her photographs seek to excavate what lies beneath the surface—the masks and façades we all, to varying degrees, wear in order to belong. With striking visual sensitivity, she invites us into deeply personal, unguarded moments that never feel invasive. Her camera is both witness and participant—its gaze empathetic, curious, and unflinchingly honest.

Rich blacks, poetic light, and thoughtful visual pacing make this body of work resonate on both technical and emotional levels. Unmasking oscillates between revelation and concealment, probing the tension between our authentic selves and the roles we play. In her own words, the series ‘delves into the enigmatic nature of the self, seeking to dive beneath the veneer of societal expectations and judgments—including my own.’

Sina is not merely documenting—she is present in the frame, challenging the myth of the neutral observer. A promising young talent, her work explores vulnerability not as weakness, but as quiet power. Sina Muehlbauer is undoubtedly an artist to watch—her voice is already distinct, and her future looks bright.” — Luca Desienna Doris, Gomma

“Sina Muehlbauer recherche le grain, celui qui érafle la peau et laisse des rougeurs, celui qui jaillit du monde des rêves pour s’inscrire sur nos corps.

(Sina Muehlbauer seeks the grain—the one that scratches the skin, leaving a blush, the one that bursts from the world of dreams to mark our bodies.)” — Lou Tsatsas, Fisheye Magazine

“[Her] images evoke passion, eroticism, play, chaos, calm, anxiety about the future, being in the present… and much more [with an atmosphere that is] sultry, enigmatic, exciting.

With a vivid imagination and social concerns [she] searches for what lies under the surface“*. Her photography shows a „restless spirit“*, visualizing „abstract notions related to identity and human relationships.

With a “strong feeling of people, and how to capture energy [she is] creating work that goes beyond the ordinary, […] trying to suspend the moment into something else.”* Her images “address very different subject matter yet they share a similar delicate quality […]. It’s hard to describe but [her] images feel like they are so much about the atmosphere and feeling of the moment unfolding; as if [she is] not only communicating what [she] saw, but also how those moments made [her] feel.” — LensCulture

Exposure

2026 Featured by ZONE Mag for ZONE 5, Rome (IT)/ INT
2025 Exhibition “Brink”, Fotografie Berlin Collective, Gallery Bardo, Berlin (DE)
2025 Exhibition “Behind Desire” - 10-Year Anniversary of CHAUSSEE 36 together with works by Daido Moriyama, Kishin Shinoyama, Lucien Clergue, Erwin Blumenfeld, Helmut Newton, Spyros Rennt, Eva Stenram, (…), Berlin (DE)
2025 Cover of L’Œil de la Photographie magazine about CHAUSSEE 36 10-Year Anniversary exhibition, Paris (FR)
2025 Shortlisted “Not for what was, but for what still lingers”, zrfdbck, Tokyo (JP)
2025 Exhibition “Static Cinema” - Venice Film Festival, Art-Icon in collaboration with MC2 Gallery together with works by Antoine D’Agata, Michael Ackerman, Roger Ballen, Celine Croze, Mark Seliger, (…), Venice (IT)
2025 Second Price Winner Gomma Black And White Awards 2025, London (UK)/ INT
2025 Presentation Portfolio, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Salle des Fêtes, Arles (FR)
2025 Shortlisted, Finalist Gomma Black And White Awards 2025, London (UK)/ INT
2025 Featured by ZONE Mag for THEZONEZINE ZIVNE, Rome (IT)/ INT
2025 Exhibition “Lifting the Veil” 48h Neukölln art festival, FotografieBerlin e.V. (DE)
2025 Editors Pick „Unmasking“ - „New Visions“, Lensculture, Amsterdam (NL)/ INT
2025 Editors Pick „Letting Go“ - „New Visions“, Lensculture, Amsterdam (NL)/ INT
2024 Publication, interview & article written by web editor-in-chief Lou Tsatsas “Sina Muehlbauer: loin du masque, la libération” (Sina Muehlbauer: Far from the mask, liberation”), Fisheye Magazine, Paris (FR)
2024 Publication & artist text “Dans l’œil de Sina Muehlbauer : les visages flous de nos souvenirs" (“In the Eye of Sina Muehlbauer: The Blurry Faces of Our Memories”), web editor-in-chief Lou Tsatsas, Fisheye Magazine, Paris (FR)
2024 Exhibition “Drift”, Retramp Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2024 Exhibition “You're Innocent in Your Dreams”, ZERO space Art Gallery, Tokyo (JP)
2024 Presentation Portfolio, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Salle des Fêtes, Arles (FR)
2024 Publication “Witness”, Trigger - FOMU magazine of the Museum of Photography Antwerp (BG)
2024 Exhibition “Urban Silence - Resonance”, 48h Neukölln art festival, FotografieBerlin e.V. (DE)
2024 Video installation, Show&Tell “Excess“, Fotogalerie Friedrichshain, Berlin (DE)
2024 Publication “Letting Go“, See:zeen, NYC (US) / Berlin (DE)
2023 Exhibition “Touching Transcendence“, zrfdbck, UltraSuperNewGallery, Tokyo (JP)
2023 Publication in DER GREIF magazine, “(make) belief“ (Guest Room), curated by Daniel Boetker-Smith & Tanvi Mishra
2023 Exhibition “FRESH EYES“, Haute Photographie, Amsterdam (NL)
2023 Publication „Letting Go“ zrfdbck Magazine, No 005 2023, Tokyo (JP)
2023 Exhibition “Signs of Impermanence“, zrfdbck, Jinny Street Gallery, Tokyo (JP)
2023 Exhibition “Playground“, 48h Neukölln art festival, Berlin (DE)
2022 Exhibition “Aporia“, Bethanien, Berlin (DE)
2022 Publication in DER GREIF magazine, “CHARACTERS OF RESONANCE“ (Guest Room), curated by Diandra Donecker
2022 Exhibition “I’m going to eat my head off“ // Saṃsāra“, 48H Neukölln art festival, Redah Gallery, Berlin (DE)
2022 Selected Photographer International Urban Photo Awards - Singles & Portfolio, Trieste (IT)
2021 Exhibition “Come fly with me“, 48H Neukölln Berlin art festival, Kunstmatrix, Berlin (DE)
2021 Exhibition “Final Bloom Capsule“, FK-Kollektiv (Redah Gallery), Berlin (DE)
2021 Selected Photographer International Urban Photo Awards - Singles & Portfolio, Trieste (IT)
2020 Exhibition “Neukölln“, 48H Neukölln Berlin art festival, Kunstmatrix, Berlin (DE)
2020 Exhibition “Final Bloom Capsule“, FK-Kollektiv (Redah Gallery), Berlin (DE)
2020 Selected Photographer International Urban Photo Awards - Portfolio, Trieste (IT)