The Düsseldorf-based photographer Corina Gertz is pursuing her global long-term project titled "Averted Portrait" (“Abgewandtes Porträt“) and travels to many countries for this, including those in Europe, East and Southeast Asia, and Africa.

In a consistently similar manner and proportion, Gertz mostly portrays women in traditional clothing and costume, as a hip shot from behind against a black background. With her back portraits, she creates images of beauty and visible cultural difference. Through the turning away of the portrayed subjects, the viewers’ gaze is not directed at the faces of the presented, but instead focuses on the body posture, clothing, and the material quality of the textiles and accessories.

The German Textile Museum has invited the Düsseldorf artist to a joint exhibition, where 23 of her "averted portraits" stand in dialogue with 150 objects from the Krefeld collection from various cultural backgrounds and time periods. The selection of photographs and objects by the museum's curator team was made based on aesthetic, associative criteria. Some pieces of jewelry are worn with a costume, but are not visible in the rear view of the photograph. And some patterns and symbols have been carried through trade and exchange from Asia or Europe to other parts of the world, thus finding their way into traditional clothing.