Mona Kuhn

For over 25 years, Mona Kuhn has used photography and lens-based media art to re-examine figurative discourse, rendering the physical and metaphysical presence in the human figure. Through her lens, Kuhn invites viewers to contemplate the intricacies of our existence, unveiling the hidden depths of our shared humanity.

Mona Kuhn is an American artist, born in São Paulo, Brazil, of German descent, in 1969. Kuhn earned her BA from The Ohio State University before furthering her studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is an independent scholar at The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Kuhn’s works have been shown steadily, revealing an astonishing consistency in technique, subject, and purpose. Kuhn’s distinct aesthetic propelled her as one of the most collectible contemporary art photographers. In 2021, Kuhn received The Stieglitz Award for her contributions to fine art photography. Occasionally, Mona Kuhn teaches at UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Kuhn’s first monograph, Photographs, was debuted by Steidl in 2004; followed by Evidence (2007), Native (2010), Bordeaux Series (2011), Private (2014), and She Disappeared into Complete Silence (2018/19). In addition, Stanley/Barker Editions published Kuhn’s Bushes & Succulents in 2018. In 2021, Thames & Hudson published a career retrospective titled Works. Kuhn’s most recent publication Kings Road with Steidl accompanies a multi-dimensional museum traveling exhibition shown in Europe and the US.

Mona Kuhn’s work is in private and public collections worldwide, including The J. Paul Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Hammer Museum, the Perez Art Museum in Miami, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Kiyosato Museum in Japan. Kuhn’s work has been exhibited at The Louvre Museum and Le Bal in Paris, The Whitechapel Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in London, Musée de l’Elysée in Switzerland, Leopold Museum in Vienna Austria, The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver Canada, Australian Centre for Photography and Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan. Mona Kuhn lives in Los Angeles, and her works are represented by galleries in the US, Europe, and Asia.