As part of a personal portrait of Tokio Hotel frontman Bill Kaulitz, the queer MANNSCHAFT MAG spoke with him about his coming out and his long journey toward self-determination. Portrait photographer Ariel Oscar GREITH c/o BALLSAAL took this meeting as an occasion to lead Bill Kaulitz into a visual world inspired by the glamour and inner turmoil of 1970s rock icons. In a subtle homage to the early encounters between Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith, Greith stages a play between stage persona and private identity — between pose and vulnerability, excess and intimacy.
The portrait is less a depiction than a dialogue: about identity, about gender as performance, about the courage to embrace ambivalence. Kaulitz appears not only as a pop star but as a human in transformation — dazzling, sensitive, and at the same time unwavering in his pursuit of self-determination.
Ariel Oscar Greith (*1986, Kassel) is a German photographer, creative director, and visual artist living in Berlin and Hamburg. After studying photography at the Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts (HGB) and receiving a DAAD scholarship at NCAD in Dublin, his focus lies on portrait and documentary photography as well as the exploration of human health. As a human rights activist, he collaborates with organizations including UNICEF to highlight political and social issues.
In addition to his artistic work, Greith is writing a dissertation on art and artificial intelligence, investigating the impact of algorithmic creativity on aesthetic production. Since 2023, he has been working as a photographer and artistic director for Armin Morbach, developing creative strategies for premium and luxury brands.
