Ellen von Unwerth's 'Ladyland' Celebrates Female Empowerment at Opera Gallery London

Ellen von Unwerth, the renowned German fashion photographer born in Frankfurt in 1954, presents her solo exhibition 'Ladyland' at Opera Gallery in London, running until May 18, 2018. The show features thirty photographs spanning her thirty-year career, from iconic black-and-white images of Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss to recent parodies of Bavarian costumes. Von Unwerth, who began her career as a model before turning to photography at age thirty, emphasizes that the women in her photos are subjects, not objects. She credits her unique perspective to her experience as a former model, fostering a playful, equal relationship with her muses. The exhibition was curated with gallery director Sebastien Plantin. Von Unwerth dismisses accusations of objectifying women, asserting that her subjects are energetic, independent, and emancipated. Her work contributed to the rise of the supermodel phenomenon in the early 1990s.