Spanning more than three decades, Dana Lixenberg — American Images brings together a committed and deeply human body of work, weaving a multilayered portrait of the United States in which celebrities and lesser-known individuals are approached with equal care and portrayed with dignity.

Born in Amsterdam, Lixenberg sees the United States through the fresh, discerning eyes of a foreigner, offering a nuanced perspective on the myth of the American Dream. After arriving in New York in 1989, Dana Lixenberg began to develop a photographic language grounded in empathy, mutual trust, and attentive engagement. In doing so, her portraits offer a counter-narrative to prevailing media representations of America, a perspective that remains deeply relevant today.

The human figure is central to her work. Moving across a broad social spectrum, from public figures to those living at the margins, her portraits look beyond status, stripping away the distractions of social context to resist reductive readings. Treating her subjects with respect and curiosity, she reveals the human qualities of celebrities while bringing out the individuality and presence of lesser-known
sitters. Her practice is shaped by what she often refers to as a “slow dance” with her subjects. This unhurried approach fosters a sense of connection. Working with a 4×5-inch view camera, a demanding instrument that requires rigor and concentration, she transforms each session into an intimate exchange anchored in a shared moment. Carefully composed and marked by unwavering attention to detail, from the tilt of a head to the curve of an arm, her work resists simplification and achieves a sharp visual clarity.

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