I recently visited the Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery, curated by the talented Dido Haas, to see the photographic exhibition “Nude” by Joanna Kitten. I was very impressed by Joanna’s choice to use black and white in a style I would describe as minimalist. In the exhibition, Joanna portrays her avatar in extremely natural poses and, as the title suggests, in a state of nudity.
Opening party of NUDE by Joanna Kitten, the January 2025 exhibition @ Nitroglobus main hall
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What I found particularly interesting is the use of black and white along with light and shadow effects that emphasize the forms of the avatar. This emphasis is not just an aesthetic choice related to the nudity of the avatar, but represents a deeper and metaphorical exposure of self, a kind of introspection and authenticity.
Although the images may evoke a certain sensuality, the naturalness of the avatar’s poses suggests Kitten’s desire to express herself genuinely. This is reflected in images like the one of the avatar naturally leaning on a chair, or the one where it is sitting relaxed, or the one where it walks holding balloons and looking back.
This exhibition can be seen as a profound digital self-portrait of Kitten, capturing various moments of vulnerability. Kitten has already held two other photographic exhibitions at the Nitroglobus Roof Art Gallery, “Noir” in 2022 and “Fort Wall” in 2023, showing how she uses Second Life as a true expressive tool.
With “Nude,” Kitten continues this exploration, pushing beyond the traditional boundaries of identity through self-representation in virtual spaces. The images are intimate and universal, telling stories not through dramatic poses, but through subtle gestures and authentic framing.
The exhibition represents a natural evolution of Kitten’s work, which is followed by many through platforms like Flickr. Moving from more landscape photography to more intimate explorations of identity, Kitten uses the Black Dragon Viewer to take photos and Affinity Photo for editing.
Her style is reminiscent of real photographers like Ralph Gibson, who saw the human body not just as an object, but as a landscape to explore.
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