Stella Guzmán

My name is Stella Guzman Schikora; I was born in Mexico and grew up in a family of artists. From an early age, painting was a natural form of expression for me – a way of processing emotions without having to put them into words.

After finishing school, I studied painting and art therapy/education at Alanus University. It was during a seminar on film analysis that I first realised just how much filmmaking fascinated me. Since 2023, I have been studying cinematography at the ifs in Cologne – with the aim of bringing stories to life visually as a Director of Photography. Among others, I am studying there under Jutta Pohlmann and Hajo Schomerus.

For me, painting and cinematography complement each other in a special way. The inner exploration involved in painting brings depth to my film work, whilst the perspective through the camera influences my painting – particularly in my use of light, colour and composition, but also in my attempt to incorporate personal experiences.

I usually work impulsively, intuitively, in the moment. My images and visual ideas often arise from emotions – they are not planned, but grow out of an inner longing to see.

I am interested in what is not immediately visible – the in-between, which cannot be grasped but can be sensed. Whether with a brush or a camera: my work is always an attempt to capture this invisible element and make it tangible for others – not through explanation, but through mood, atmosphere and visual depth.