Karsten Thormaehlen studied Philosophy, Art History and Design in Mainz and Wiesbaden. Between 1993 and 1998 he worked as an Art Director in New York City, where he developed advertising campaigns for luxury brands and met well-known photographers like Peter Lindbergh, Fabrizio Ferri, Nathanial Goldberg, Pamela Hanson or Patrick Demarchelier. His work received several awards and is displayed in international fashion and architecture magazines. Some of his fine art photography is part of private art collections in Europe, Asia, America or Australia and has been sold to raise money for charities.
Besides many German CEOs he also photographed many international well-established artists, designers, athletes and architects such as Nick Bollettieri, Sir Norman Foster, Djimon Hounsou, Heidi Klum, Diane Kruger, Alan Parker, Tobias Rehberger, Isabella Rossellini, Luc Tuymans. Among his commercial clients are companies like BMW, BNP Paribas, Bosch, JPMorgan, Messe Frankfurt, LufthansaWorldShop, Stihl, Symrise and Villeroy & Boch.
His freelance exhibition projects, installations of large format portraits, "Jahrhundertmensch" (English translation, Happy at One Hundred) (2008), of 100-year-old men and women, and "Silver Heroes" (2009), of old age athletes, are travelling through Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
Karsten Thormaehlen is a member of the prestigious professional association BFF Stuttgart and Fotografie Forum International.
Thormaehlen's Erika E., born in 1910 was chosen for exhibition by the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the 2011 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize.
Heinke, Florian (October 2010). Love kills : "Betting on the Muse" Charles Bukowski (1920-1994); Eine Ausstellung von Florian Heinke und Sandra Mann. Dirty Lovers Books. ISBN 978-3-00-032479-6.
Thormaelen, Thorsten (December 2008). Jahrhundertmensch. Moonblix. ISBN 978-3-00-025096-5.
Straulino, Alexander (2006). Straulino Playtime. Daab Verlag. ISBN 978-3-937718-84-2.
Schmolka, Mario (2005). Schmolka Intense. Daab Verlag. ISBN 978-3-937718-45-3.
Arndt, Jochen (2005). Masako. Daab Verlag. ISBN 978-3-937718-29-3.
Obermann, Bernd (2005). New York Moments. Daab Verlag. ISBN 978-3-937718-43-9.
Poinsard, Bruno (2005). Poinsard Tropical Blen. Daab Verlag. ISBN 978-3-937718-44-6.
Adami, Alexandra (2005). Beautiful Christmas Cards. teNeues. ISBN 978-3-8327-9093-6.
Duttenhoefer, Thomas (2005). Stier Bischof Tod. Verlag Thormaehlen.
Thormaehlen, Karsten (2004). Rome – Photographs. teNeues. ISBN 978-3-8238-4578-2.
