My project is about how self-portraits help you get to know and recognize yourself. Taking self-portraits is a time to be alone with yourself, when you can be whoever you want to be. Self-portraits help you to think about yourself, your feelings and emotions. In front of my camera often appear amazing, beautiful women over 40 who are in complete confusion. They don’t know how to organize their lives. They’ve devoted themselves to their children and their family. And what now when the children are grown… someone finds the strength to change and do something. But how many women don’t find the strength to move forward? They choose to be victims and remain unfulfilled and unhappy. With this project I want to show how to find the strength to revive like a phoenix bird. Do not be afraid to move forward and realize that happiness is first and foremost our own responsibility. After all, a woman is an amazing creature of nature.
LensCulture Reviewer Feedback
Thank you for sharing your work with us. The most significant feature of your work is its autobiographical character and the subjective way you have visualized the concept. I’m glad you have realized the unique ability of photography to become a way out of every hard situation and help us learn ourselves better. Especially self-portraiture gives us the opportunity to be at the same time, behind and in front of the camera and explore unknown aspects of our identity. I find your focus on your sensory organs in order to reconnect with yourself and restore your inner balance brilliant and unexpected. It shows that there is a simple and effective way to help ourselves starting with something we can see and control like our body. As the body is part of our existence, it plays a significant role not only in our physical but also in our mental condition. Observing the way sensors work we can realize the way the outside world influences our lives and adopt practices and habits able to help us be happy and in harmony with others and fight the negative affections of the contemporary world. I can understand that the photographic process is one of these habits for you (as it offers you time with yourself away from everyday reality) and from this perspective, your project also deals with photography as an expressive means.
The subjectivity of your work increases its authenticity and helps us learn things about you. This is great, of course, because we can see that you are a thoughtful, creative, optimistic, unconventional, and sensitive person with high aesthetic criteria who loves challenges and is not afraid to explore herself through her art. You look for what lies under the surface and you try to visualize the invisible using various visual narrative tools. This fact proves your desire to express yourself and share your vision with the viewer. All images are nicely executed, composed, and manipulated showing your experience and commitment.
Victoria, you have the gift, the knowledge, and the motivation to create noticeable personal work and make it widely known if you continue on the same path, make your subjective view of reality visible, and invest in storytelling as regards the building of a series. Keep in mind that in a gallery they are interested to see the reflection of the photographer in his work and not only compelling images. Stay faithful to your concerns and beliefs and never follow trends and likes. Only personal and sincere works can resist time and win a more permanent acceptance. And only a consistent photographer leaves his mark.
My engagement with your work was an exciting and pleasant experience. I wish you good luck, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from you in the future.
All the best
