Steffen Diemer, born in 1966 in Grünstadt, Germany, is a contemporary photographer who brings a poetic and intimate approach to capturing the essence of nature to his work. His works have gained recognition for their delicate, sensitive and evocative qualities. Steffen Diemer has been exploring artistic photography since 2011. This career is still characterised today by a distinctive aesthetic, characterised by handmade works on black glass, which he often treats as individual objects, emphasising the tactile and tangible nature of his art. Over the years, Steffen Diemer has become a figure in the world of fine art photography, with a body of work that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Steffen Diemer's artistic journey began to unfold when, after 20 years of working as a photographer in war and crisis regions, he suffered a burnout that led him to critically scrutinise himself and his work. His experiences with traditional Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, mainly gathered between 1994 and 1998, left intense traces in his photographic sensibility. This background, coupled with spirituality, the aesthetic concept of Wabi Sabi, respect for divine creation and a love of literature, strongly influences the meditative and contemplative qualities that characterise his work.
Steffen Diemer's photographic process is characterised by meticulous craftsmanship and a deep connection to the motifs. His work mainly utilises the 170-year-old process of wet plate collodion photography. The physicality of the works exposed directly on black glass, combined with their intimate size, invites the viewer to engage intensely with each image. This process is a deliberate departure from the conventional and emphasises the individuality and uniqueness of each photograph as an object of contemplation. Each work is unique.
Steffen Diemer's work has been shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions.
Steffen Diemer - photographs can be found in renowned collections. His presence at international art fairs emphasises the universal appeal and enduring significance of his distinctive approach to photography, in which each image becomes a poetic meditation on the transience of life and the beauty to be found in fleeting moments.