Somewhere between carefreeness and seriousness, at the breaking point between childhood and adulthood, the figures in Dorn's paintings linger. Self-portraits of the artist confront us in her large-format works. Self-portraits that depict growing up as a young woman in all its facets and transcend the personal. A cigarette in their hands, mask-like facial features, internalised expressions – the self-determined women of New Objectivity shine through in the figures. In the next moment, the dreamlike scenes seem to recall Frida Kahlo's surreal exploration of the self. Another glance evokes Paula Modersohn-Becker's expressive female nudes or Kiki Kogelnik's dynamic imagery. Dorn weaves fragmented memories with playful motifs from her imagination. In doing so, the artist not only reveals her fears, hopes, and dreams, but also questions her own identity and social environment – as the title of her first solo exhibition at Elektrohalle Rhomberg, "Wer passt schon ganz in diese Welt?", suggests. – Emilia Webhofer

Lunita-July Dorn (1999 born in Berlin, lives and works in Berlin) studies at the Kunsthochschule Weißensee under Friederike Feldmann. She is currently nominated for the Young Generation Art Award 2025, with the finalists’ exhibition opening at Degussa Goldhandel in Berlin this week.