Sora Park
With me, with you.
…When I moved to Essen in 2017 from South Korea I made a very conscious effort to adapt to my new environment and get to know new people. As a photography student it seemed natural that part of the process of getting know somebody involved taking photographs. When I met somebody new I began the process of getting to know them by talking to them for several hours, until the person seems at ease or relaxed, and then I usually take a single photograph using an analog large format camera…
…I want to compare and contrast how people react and behave at home or somewhere new. But I am also concerned with trying to capture somebody’s frame of mind, and what their expression, gestures and body language in relation to their surroundings reveals about them. Taking a single exposure with the large format camera requires an unusual amount of concentration, at a time when the ubiquitous digital photographic technology allows us to take an unlimited number of photographs and make an immediate selection. It also prevents the interaction, between myself and my subject, or the person and the camera, from becoming stale. The resolution of 4 x 5 inch negative allows me to make large, almost life-size and monumental prints. This monumentality is in an interesting tension with the expressions on the young adult faces – which are often uncertain or questioning. The high level of detail is fascinating and leads to a prolonged interaction with the picture.
Sora Park is a South Korean artist currently based in Essen, Germany. The starting point of her artistic practice lies in the in-depth exploration of her immediate surroundings. As a faithful reflection of her personal journey and experiences, she use the medium of photography to make these everyday moments and fragments of life visually tangible.
She works predominantly with analog large-format photography using a 4x5-inch camera. Her core body of work includes the ongoing still-life series The Afternoon of the Day, initiated in 2017. Also captured on large-format 4x5-inch film is her portrait series With me, with you (2018–2023). Additionally, her portfolio features the series City Bird City Bird (2019–2025), in which she used an analog compact camera to observe and document animals within urban environments.
In 2022, she was awarded the August Sander Prize for her portrait series With Me, With You (Bei mir, bei dir). Later in 2026, she received the Best Portfolio Award (Portfolioday, Triennial of photography Hamburg) for her still-life series The Afternoon of the Day.
