Karl Felix explores gender through photography

London based photographer, Karl Felix depicts the progress of changing and subconsciously “getting lost”; as having a clear routed path ahead isn’t always a positive thing. The unknown can be petrifying, it happens to the best of us – but that’s the idea. The healthiest approach is usually the easiest, however it’s often masked by societal values and the fear of being forgotten or even worse, irrelevant. To change individual perceptions of what’s important, Felix speaks his truths, “It’s about free-falling from our own expectations, to no longer put pressure on ourselves. It’s about being different – being isolated from your values and your look. People easily judge due to visual difference, it builds a weird distance between people, it’s like a border of emptiness”.

Welcoming individuality isn’t difficult for Berlin – it homes multi-cultural people, varied sub-cultures, techno scenes, and visual diversity; AKA “the adult playground”. Berlin undoubtedly has so much to offer, the city is bulging with young creatives out here every day presenting their artist self to the world. In hope that one day they may be a vital element in keeping Berlin’s culture fresh and versatile, despite it being a relatively “poor” city. Karl Felix shoots “the masculine face and body” in a gender-less form to challenge society’s views on people: “It’s about breaking general stereotypes, aesthetics of gender – to question what’s actually feminine or masculine. I aim to show differences and try to be real. I love the melancholic vibe, unsettled with an open end”.

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All these factors evoke certain moods within Felix’s imagery, as that’s every photographer’s fundamental goal, right? To stimulate viewers’ thoughts and feelings from the very first second their eyes fixate on the photo’s. We asked Felix what senses he feels evoke certain memories and emotions- much like the power of photography, if captured sincerely. Given the choice to communicate your truth to the world; does a specific smell make you feel some type of way?- “I would definitely affect ones mood through a specific smell. For me, every situation and memory is always connected with a certain smell; constructed by perfume, human body, nature, city or other aspects. Every time I am thinking about an important moment in life, there is a smell that reminds me of it. It would be interesting to give the people another sense of the situation.”