Gitte Kleo
About the Artist
Gitte Kleo is an emerging Fine Art Photographer working with photo manipulations centred around the theme of mental health.
Her artistic journey started at 14 when she borrowed her dad’s SLR camera and fell in love with photography.
At the age of 21 in 2005 she quit design school to open her photography business as a self-taught portrait and wedding photographer. Due to the financial crisis she had to close her business in 2010 and instead started to work as a freelance photographer and experiment with model photography, artistic nudes in particular.
The Pandemic and a serious back injury made her channel the frustration into her work, where she found her style and love of Fine Art Photography, which in turn made her take herself seriously as an artist.
Each image is a photo manipulation of 15-20 different carefully selected images. This way she builds up the foundation of the story she wants to tell.
She loves to play with texture and bright colours, which she uses as a contrast to the big emotions and dark feelings in the images.
Artist Statement
I create art around the topic of mental vulnerability because I feel strongly about showing that it is possible to overcome mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
I have battled with depression and anxiety for 10 years. A struggle that my art has helped me get through. But seeing my partner and a fair share of family and friends struggling with these diagnoses as well made me realize that I want to focus my work on “the feelings that we don’t talk about”.
I want to open the conversation about mental health, because so many people are afraid of talking about this topic, and I want to be the one to start the conversations.
My art is meant to make people think deeper about their own vulnerability, and to help people see that they’re not alone with their struggles.
I want to create a feeling of a community mainly for women around vulnerability through art, and I want to inspire them to open up and share their journeys. The more we talk about our own vulnerability, the better we can understand each other and our own inner self.
What is your “Dreamland” ?
My Dreamland is a place where creativity is the focus. It is filled with lights and colours, and it is a place where fantasy creatures dwell along with the rest of us.
In my Dreamland it’s encouraged to wear your vulnerability and feelings openly, and it is a place of self-reflection and positivity.
I am submitting 3 images from my series called “A Light in the Woods”.
The series is about digging deep to find your own inner light and channelling this light into your life. It also touches on the subject of the importance of fantasies and takes a more light-hearted twist than my usual work while still staying true to my recurring theme, which is to talk about our feelings and show that we can overcome the darkness.
I use the naked female form in this series to show that you don’t need to hide your true self and as a symbol of vulnerability.
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