Nick: I came across Yuka via Instagram in January and loved her aesthetic. We exchanged messages and met up for a coffee while she visited London. Quickly we began to bounce ideas off each other and the next evening we where running naked around a field in east London. I gave these images to Yuka and she created a series of paintings from the photographs. After showing them to Italian art director Riccardo Zanola he suggested to turn it into a book. So while I was in Berlin for work Yuka came to visit me at the ProArte hotel in Mitte to discuss works; however, we ended up not doing that and going swimming instead. The hotel has an interesting collection of sculptures and artworks. I had a secret key card for the building that gave me access to the rooftop. Yuka and I headed up there and impulsively began to photograph each other. The way Yuka expresses herself through movement and positioning her body instantly reminded me of the sculptures in the hotel collection, and we decided to recreate the works while keeping them connected to the hotel itself.
Yuka: Yes, as Nick says, it started from his message asking me to collaborate in his book project. I was very impressed by his vigour at our first meeting in a café in Hackney. He brought a beautiful book he just printed at home and composed that same day to show me his works. It made me decide to work with him immediately. All the ideas came from Nick, both during our first shoot in London and also for the project Körper. Nick has this special talent to let people expose themselves, so I just kept myself mentally and physically open for his inspiration and he captured my pure reactions throughout the shoot.

Nick: It’s about fun and energy. About allowing Yuka to bring these rigid sculptures to life, treating each one as its own character and letting them explore the hotel, from the looking out over Berlin on the rooftop to jumping on the bed in the hotel rooms. I imagine these sculptures are so sick of the lobby and they wonder where do all the humans disappear.
Yuka: During the shoot, I had no final image in my mind. I consider the basic duty of any modelling work to stay free, comfortable, open, selfless and genuine. To me, it's all about exploring our diversity, potential, love and beauty throughout my body. After Nick finished editing Körper I reassured myself about this concept. I totally agree with Nick's description. We can easily get stuck in one situation or mindset, and be scared of exploring different phases of our life. I hope Körper reminds people to have fun.

Nick: I just imagined what would happen if they came to life while no one was around in a Toy Story-esque way.
Yuka: (laughs) Toy Story! Normally the process of my work goes the opposite way. I need to be the one who is not moving. Also in other work situations, painters or sculptors put my living body into fixed, still images – I've been dreaming of modelling for bronze or marble sculptures, by the way. So I found this unexpected idea of Nick interesting and fresh.

Nick: We chose the ones that felt like they wanted to escape, the ones that seemed frozen in place, but there’s always room for improvisation. You’ll notice that in two images I made Yuka into the object, it’s almost as if she is trapped.

Nick: We experimented a lot. Often we got side-tracked due to excitement and shot something else that inspired us. It’s boring when everything goes according to a plan.

Nick: It’s the small details that I tend to dwell on. So I remember that while we were recreating one of the sculpture’s set-ups, I noticed that there was a line along the wall behind it. I really wanted to find a place with the same line repeated in the hotel. I think it helps connecting the two. I remember a talk that Nobuyoshi Araki gave at Izu Photo Museum (Japan) back in 2013. He said about a photograph depicting a nude woman and an orange that "they are spontaneously calling each other out of my control". And we can actually find more examples of those spontaneous calling in many of his works.
This expression stuck in my mind when we were looking for locations. So I was focused on finding somewhere ‘calling the situation/environment of the statues’ rather than somewhere that just looks similar to the original.

Nick: Black and white images are instantly more graphical. The lack of colour lets the eye focus on shape and structure. We instantly detach from the idea of Yuka being naked as something sexual, and rather it’s about her shape and form, and she embodies the sculptures by bringing them to life – even if only for a moment.

Nick: Körper is a way to say body in German. As I was building the project it just kept resurfacing in my head. All the sculptures represent the idea of the body and its interaction with the environment. I can't define exactly how Yuka is able to translate and radiate emotion though her body and movements. However, it always becomes the focal point of our images. As a photographer she is a dream to collaborate creatively with.

Nick: We had an exhibition in London. I always want to separate the photographic project from the show. To me an exhibition should involve the people and allow them to interact with the works and have an experience rather than simply admire them hanging on a wall. I try to create a world for the audience to engage with. And the book will be launched in November 16!

Nick: Yes, we have a few projects in the making. Yuka is a constant inspiration; her freedom, her creativity and her energy make her something incredibly special in this day and age.
Yuka: I’m working on recreating drawings from our first shoot in London. It means a lot to me to have these opportunities and work with photographer like Nick. He has super positive energy and gives me powerful inspiration. I hope to finish this project from our first shoot as soon as possible.