Katharina Dubno

Katharina Dubno (* 1983 in Chorzów/Königshütte, Poland) is a freelance documentary and portrait photographer and lives in Frankfurt am Main.

Career

Katharina Dubno came to Germany from Poland with her family at the age of seven.¹ From 2005 to 2010 she studied communication design with a focus on photography at Hochschule Mainz, graduating in 2010 with a diploma for her project “Zu Besuch bei Unbekannten – Als Couchsurferin durch Osteuropa” (Visiting Strangers – As a Couchsurfer through Eastern Europe), for which she travelled for two months from Gdańsk to Istanbul and condensed her impressions of people and landscapes into “images of great poetic intensity”.²

Since then she has worked as a freelance documentary and portrait photographer for cultural institutions and magazines, and she also realises independent projects and exhibitions.³ In 2012 she was artist in residence at the Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN) of the University of the Arts in London and in Brighton.⁴ ⁵ In 2016/2017 she took part in the Sputnik Photos mentoring programme in Warsaw.⁶ In 2014/2015 she held a teaching assignment in photography at the Department of Communication Design at Hochschule Mainz.⁷ ⁸ In 2018, together with the Rwandan photographer Chris Schwagga, she portrayed sixteen designers and companies from Rwanda and Rhineland-Palatinate for the exhibition “Products in Dialogue – Design from Rwanda and Rhineland-Palatinate”.⁹

This is what a feminist looks like

Commissioned by the Frauenreferat der Stadt Frankfurt am Main (Women’s Department of the City of Frankfurt am Main), Katharina Dubno photographed 167 people for the project “This is what a feminist looks like – in Frankfurt” in order “to show the continuity and topicality of feminist issues and struggles in Frankfurt”.¹⁰ Those portrayed include artists, activists, educators, politicians, entrepreneurs and trade unionists.

With her portraits, Dubno wants to show “how diversely feminism is lived in Frankfurt, across generations and genders, in the most varied professional fields, lifestyles and neighbourhoods. I wanted to make visible what people stand up for, what they are committed to, how colourful feminism is”.¹¹

What makes the project special, besides linking each person portrayed with a place that is important to them, is its intersectional orientation. Dubno emphasises that feminism must always also be about ensuring “that all aspects, different life realities and affiliations and the resulting disadvantages in our society are taken into account. Alongside equality or equal pay […], different forms of discrimination such as racism, socio-economic status, gender identity, ableism or sexual orientation must always play a role in feminist discourses”.¹²

In 2021 the project was published as a book.¹³

Awards

Memberships, voluntary engagements

Katharina Dubno is a member of the Female Photoclub and of the International Visual Sociology Association.¹⁹

Publications

Book publications

2019: With the portrait of Mr. Cichon (project: “What still remains”) in the volume Portrait of Humanity. London: Hoxton Mini Press, ISBN: 978-1-910566-52-7.
2019: With the portrait of Michael Horovitz in the volume Portrait of Britain. Vol. 2. London: Hoxton Mini Press, ISBN: 978-1-910566-54-1.
2021: This is what a feminist looks like in Frankfurt. Ein Projekt des Frauenreferats der Stadt Frankfurt am Main in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fotografin Katharina Dubno. Frankfurt/M.: Nizza Verlag, ISBN 978-3-940599-10-0.
2022: With the portrait of Saba Afeworki in the volume Portrait of Humanity. Vol. 4. London: Hoxton Mini Press, ISBN: 978-1-914314-25-4.

Exhibitions

2010: Group exhibition “Across Europe – From Essen through Pesct to Istanbul”
2010: Group exhibition at PHOTOKINA Köln with “On both sides of the wall. 24 h Israel/Westbank”
2010: Group exhibition with “Zu Besuch bei Unbekannten – Als Couchsurferin durch Osteuropa”, Naturhistorisches Museum, Mainz
2011: Four solo exhibitions with “Zu Besuch bei Unbekannten – Als Couchsurferin durch Osteuropa”, Landesmuseum Mainz, Festung Ehrenbreitstein Koblenz, Viehmartktherme Trier, rheinland-pfälzische Landesvertretung Berlin
2012: Solo exhibition “What the Water Gave Me”, Triangel Building in London
2013: Solo exhibition with “What the Water Gave Me”, Artists Community Boat, Great Britain
2015: Group exhibition “Spring Opening”, Waggonfabrik Mainz
2016: Solo exhibition during the Go-East-Festival with “Zu Besuch bei Unbekannten – Als Couchsurferin durch Osteuropa” in Wiesbaden
2017: Group exhibition with Sputnik Photos mentees “Splot”, Krakau Photomonth/Photo Fringe, Kraków, Poland; LUMIX-Festival with “re-creation” in Hanover
2018: Group exhibition for the Designpreis Rheinland-Pfalz with “re-creation” in Mainz
2018: Solo exhibition “products in dialogue” in cooperation with descom RLP in Kigali/Rwanda
2019: Group exhibition “Portrait of Britain” on JCDecaux screens in Great Britain
2020: Solo exhibition “FRANKFURT FEMINISM”, Heussenstamm-Galerie – Raum für Kunst und Stadt, Frankfurt am Main
2025: “Prompted Realities – Sichtbarkeit im digitalen Spiegel”, as part of the fourth Frankfurt action plan “FEMINIST FAIR FUTURE” of the Frankfurt Frauenreferat (Women’s Department), Zentralbibliothek, Frankfurt am Main

External links

Website of Katharina Dubno
Katharina Dubno on the website of the Female Photoclub

Machine translation: This article was translated automatically from the German original.

1
Dubno, Katharina (n. d.): Katharina Dubno, re-creation. In: Sputnik Photos. Online at: https://sputnikphotos.education/project/katharina-dubno-en/ (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
2
Augustin, Bettina (2011): Katharina Dubno erhält London-Stipendium des Künstlerhauses Schloß Balmoral – Ausstellung in Berlin. In: idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft, press release of 07/12. Online at: https://idw-online.de/de/news455089 (accessed 16/06/2023). ↩︎
3
n. a. (2022): This is what a feminist looks like in Frankfurt. In: Forum. Das Magazin der Hochschule Mainz, 2/2022, pp. 36–39. Online at: https://www.hs-mainz.de/fileadmin/Hochschule/Publikationen/Forum/HSM_Forum_2022-02_Web-Version_korrigiert.pdf (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
4
n. a. (2012): Balmoral- und Landesstipendiatinnen und -stipendiaten 2012. In: Website of the Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral. Online at: https://www.balmoral.de/stipendiaten-aktuell/stipendiaten-jahrgaenge-ab-1996/2012 (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
5
Augustin, Bettina (2011): Katharina Dubno erhält London-Stipendium des Künstlerhauses Schloß Balmoral – Ausstellung in Berlin. In: idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft, press release of 07/12. Online at: https://idw-online.de/de/news455089 (accessed 16/06/2023). ↩︎
6
Dubno, Katharina (n. d.): Katharina Dubno, re-creation. In: Sputnik Photos. Online at: https://sputnikphotos.education/project/katharina-dubno-en/ (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
7
n. a. (n. d.): Personen. In: Website of the Department of Communication Design at Hochschule Mainz. Online at: https://kd.hs-mainz.de/personen/ (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
8
n. a. (2022): This is what a feminist looks like in Frankfurt. In: Forum. Das Magazin der Hochschule Mainz, 2/2022, pp. 36–39. Online at: https://www.hs-mainz.de/fileadmin/Hochschule/Publikationen/Forum/HSM_Forum_2022-02_Web-Version_korrigiert.pdf (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
9
Designforum Rheinland-Pfalz. Haus des Handwerks (ed.) (2018): Products in Dialogue. Rwanda Rhineland-Palatinate. Kigali: Kigali Cultural Village. Online at: https://docplayer.net/227643311-Products-in-dialogue-rwanda-rhineland-palatinate.html (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
10
Frauenreferat der Stadt Frankfurt am Main (ed.) (2020): This is what a feminist looks like – Frankfurter Porträts in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fotografin Katharina Dubno. In: Frauen. Macht. Politik. Online at: http://frauen-macht-politik-ffm.de/frankfurter-portraits/ (accessed 19/07/2021). ↩︎
11
Ippolito, Enrico (2022): »Für ein selbstbestimmtes Leben«. In: Spiegel Online, interview of 20/04. Online at: https://www.spiegel.de/stil/feminismus-in-frankfurt-es-gibt-mehr-zusammenhalt-als-auseinanderdriften-a-b6556866-318b-484b-96f0-2097507dbaf6 (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
12
Ippolito, Enrico (2022): »Für ein selbstbestimmtes Leben«. In: Spiegel Online, interview of 20/04. Online at: https://www.spiegel.de/stil/feminismus-in-frankfurt-es-gibt-mehr-zusammenhalt-als-auseinanderdriften-a-b6556866-318b-484b-96f0-2097507dbaf6 (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
13
Rosendorff, Kathrin (2021): Buchpräsentation: 167 Gesichter des Feminismus in Frankfurt. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 31/08. Online at: https://www.fr.de/frankfurt/buchpraesentation-167-gesichter-des-feminismus-in-frankfurt-90953796.html (accessed 17/06/2023). ↩︎
14
Rheinland-Pfalz Bank (2011): Rheinland-Pfalz Bank verleiht Dr. Berthold-Roland-Fotokunstpreis an Katharina Dubno im Landesmuseum Mainz. Press release of 13/04. Online at: https://www.yumpu.com/de/document/view/25799349/dr-berthold-roland-fotokunstpreis-rheinland-pfalz-bank (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
15
n. a. (2011): Mainzer Designerin Katharina Dubno gewinnt Fotopreis. In: Rhein-Zeitung, article of 21/02. https://www.rhein-zeitung.de/artikelarchiv_artikel,-mainzer-designerin-katharina-dubno-gewinnt-fotopreis-_arid,207881.html (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
16
Schelhorn, Markus (2022): Shortlist von Portrait of Humanity Vol. 4 bekannt gegeben. In: gut fotografieren, post of 12/04. Online at: https://www.gut-fotografieren.de/1854-media-portrait-of-humanity-vol-4/ (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
17
n. a. (2018): Designpreis RLP 2018 – viele Mainzer Gewinner. In: sensor, article of 21/11. Online at: https://sensor-magazin.de/designpreis-rlp-2018-viele-mainzer-gewinner/ (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
18
n. a. (2022): Portrait of Humanity Winners & Shortlist Vol. 4. In: British Journal of Photography. Online at: https://www.1854.photography/awards/portrait-of-humanity/winners2022/#foogallery-62596/i:191 (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎
19
n. a. (n. d.): Katharina Dubno. In: Website of the Female Photoclub. Online at: https://femalephotoclub.com/member/katharina-dubno/ (accessed 13/06/2023). ↩︎

Feminist, Frankfurt am Main, Photographer

Empfohlene Zitierweise

Jessica Zeltner
(2023)
: Katharina Dubno. In: Equalpedia.

Online unter:

https://www.equalpedia.org/en/katharina-dubno-2/

(Zugriff am 26. September 2026).

Erstellt am: 23. September 2026
Verfasser*in: Jessica Zeltner
Zuletzt bearbeitet am: 24. September 2026
Biographies, Culture, Photography
Feminist, Frankfurt am Main, Photographer