CV
Born in Würselen near Aachen in 1970, the photo artist came to artistic photography late in life due to drastic life events and initially completed a commercial apprenticeship with a Chamber of Commerce qualification. Even at a young age, the autodidact was interested in art and was involved in drawing, photography and literature. At the end of the nineties, he taught himself photography and in the following years he developed his own artistic language. Since then, he has been working on photographic series that he develops over a longer period of time.
Whether performance, still life, interiors or paper collages - Jürgen Sobkowiak's photographic art is sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, sometimes serious and then again with a touch of humour. He examines profound aspects such as identity, vulnerability, mortality and the subconscious, and explores the fragile boundary between normal and disturbed, inside and outside, real and surreal. His mostly absurd-abstract compositions are also a reflection on human perception and imagination. All photographic works are created without AI image generators and are not post-processed.
It was only in 2019 that Jürgen Sobkowiak went public with his art. Since then, his works have been shown nationally and internationally in galleries and exhibition halls. In 2022, he published his first book »Mensch|Raum« with performative photographic works from the series »Mensch-Raum-Studien«. Two more photo books followed in 2023 (Unkunst) and 2024 (Die Dinge bleiben). The photographic work »Suizidpakt« was nominated for the DA! Art Prize in 2024.
He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021.
Group exhibitions
2024
DA! Art Award - Check Your Dogma!, Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf, Germany
One Shot Award, BBA Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2023
SPC Awards, Galerie Seippel, Köln, Germany
Out From The Mist, Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery, Western Australia
2022
Der Greif - The Collectivity Issue, Paris Photo, France
Out From The Mist, 19 KAREN Contemporary Artspace, Western Australia
Portrait, The Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Scotland
Die Kunst des Scheiterns, Peter-Weiss-Haus e.V., Rostock, Germany
Wort im Bild, Robert-Musil-Literatur-Museum, Klagenfurt, Austria
2021
Berlin Photo Week, BBA Photography Prize, Berlin, Germany
New Currents, BBA Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Malamegi Lab 17 Art Prize, Hernandez Art Gallery, Milan (cancelled)
2020
Gauting International Photo Week, Kunstverein Gauting, München (cancelled)
VIEphoto, Galerie LIK, Vienna
Auszeichnungen / Nominierungen
2024
DA! Art Award, Nominierung für den Kunstpreis, Düsseldorf
One Shot Award, Shortlist, BBA Gallery, Berlin
2023
Wiener Werkstattpreis für Literatur und Fotografie, Finalist, Wien
BBA Photography Prize, Longlist, BBA Gallery, Berlin
2022
Artist window, Kunstwettbewerb, Gewinner des zweiten Platzes, Bremen
Wort im Bild, Gewinner des vierten Platzes, Klagenfurt
2021
Malamegi Lab Art Prize, Nominierung für den Kunstpreis, Mailand
2020
Vienna International Photo Award, Gewinner des Sonderpreises, Wien
Photographie, Gewinner des dritten Platzes, Zeitschrift, Ausgabe 1-2/2020, Tostedt
2019
Schwarzweiss, Zeitschrift, Ausgabe 131 (Aug./Sept. 2019), Steinfurt
Publikationen / Kataloge
2024
Jürgen Sobkowiak: Die Dinge bleiben, Eigenverlag
2023
Jürgen Sobkowiak: Unkunst, Eigenverlag
2022
Jürgen Sobkowiak: Mensch|Raum, Eigenverlag
Wort im Bild – 100 ausgezeichnete Fotografien, Verlag Heyn
2021
Vienna International Photo Award, Ausstellungsbuch, Blurb
Malamegi Lab 17 Art Contest, Ausstellungskatalog, Mailand
Presse
2023
Photographie, Zeitschrift, Ausgabe 1-2/2024, Tostedt
Colors, Dodho Magazine, Buch
Der Greif, Artist Feature, Blog-Artikel
2022
Der Greif, Zeitschrift, Ausgabe 15 (The Collectivity Issue)
Tagree – Das Online Magazin für Fotografie und Kunst
Anerkennungen
2021
Luxembourg Art Prize, Urkunde des Kunstmuseums Pinacothèque, Luxemburg
Werke zum Verkauf
2021-2024
Artsy, ausgewählte Arbeiten, New York City
Kollaborationen
2023
Emanuel M. Fróes, Musikvideo: Life suite, in 6 movements
2020
Emanuel M. Fróes, Musikvideo: Sonambulus, Poem X (or: The Sound Of My Wall)
Arbeiten
2025
Vom Festhalten der Sekunde
2024-2025
Lose Blätter
2024-2025
Nicht öffnen!
2024-2025
Aus den Fugen
2023-2024
Die Dinge bleiben
2022-2024
Pop Muzik
2022-2024
Kunstfug
2022-2024
Papierfetzen
2017-2023
Mensch-Raum-Studien
- I. Anti-Porträt
- II. 27 Knochen
- III. Kellerparadoxien
- IV. Außendrin
- V. Mensch|Raum
- VI. Druckstellen
- VII. Kokon
- VIII. Müde
- IX. Inwändig
2017-2020
Unkunst
2016-2019
Schlimmschwarz
2016-2020
Interieurs