Conceptual nominee

This personal work is about so called neophytes - „invasive plants“ that have been brought into a region from abroad and spread rapidly in cities and the countryside.

These plants are extremely polarizing as they represent a threat to the native flora and fauna while at the same time they could help to vegetate and therefore cool down ever overheating areas around the world. In our aesthetic comment we celebrate their strength, beauty and fruitfulness and question the actual danger that these plants are supposed to embody. By combining the real plant with a printed version of it we illustrate the process of efficient reproduction.

The title Saaten ohne Grenzen in English means "seeds without borders".
In relation to the current situation, we noticed how much these migrated plants tell about global spreading, multiplication and a constantly changing natural world.

Studio Likeness is a multidisciplinary creative duo with focus on narrative still life photography. Since 2013 we, Julia Classen & Magdalena Lepka have been working together on visual stories that cross the boundaries between photography and illustration. Our experimental approach to still life photography can be described as „painting with objects“. Essential to our work is the conceptual process in the studio where each project starts with the story that wants to be told, be it for a commissioned or an independent artistic work. We are based in Berlin.


Exhibitions and Awards

2020 Fotohof Calling
Online group exhibition with our series Saaten ohne Grenzen

2020 Der Greif – Guestroom
Online exhibition of the series Profane Magic

2019 Der Greif
Online Artist Feature

2018 PDN Award, First place winner
for the series What is Natural

2018 Der Greif – Guestroom
Online exhibition of the series Floragraphs

2017 Go See Award, Bronze for the series I´m not here


Our work has been featured in Wallpaper* magazine, Zeit Magazin, SZ Magazin, Spiegel Wissen, AD, Rondo, Neon, among others.