About

Hi and welcome! I’m photographer, Martha Hoelzer. I explore the intersection of art and bodily trauma through “What Lies Beneath.” In a series of images and video, I consider how multiple concussions have impacted my and others who experienced a traumatic brain injury, visual perception of everyday items. My work asks the viewer to consider the question or how—and if—we can render our experiences so that others can understand what they cannot see.

I am a person who attempts to live fully in my body and in the world. I thrive in situations where I can connect individuals and share their passions. I was a Division I middle distance runner in college and remain a committed runner. I relish the feeling of my heart pounding as my feet strike the trail, the wind moving against my skin, the leaves and landscape rushing by, always moving, always changing with the seasons. My lungs expanding, breathing in and out, in and out.

A head-on car collision at age 24 knocked the wind out of me and caused me to slow down significantly with multiple surgeries and an undiagnosed concussion. I understand the visible and invisible injuries firsthand. My second and third concussions years later defined this.

I earned a degree in American Studies and German from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I’ve worked as a photographer nationally and internationally since 1998, and have won accolades for my work as part of the 61st, 62nd and 63rd Annual Juried Exhibition Durham Arts Guild show, the Telluride Art + Architecture Tour, and the Carolina Global Photography Contest. You can learn more about my work at marthahoelzer.com.