Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i Lens Magazine

”There are different aspects to my work as a photographer/artist. Some I enjoy thoroughly, and some I perceive as challenging or even painful at times. The creative process, starting from conceiving a project to the actual shoot, usually brings me into a state of flow, feeling energised and happy. Then what happens after selecting and processing, that’s another story. My emotional state can go to all places; From 'yes, great shots' to 'shoot, no good.' It often takes me time to digest my work and make final selections. But once I am there, I take the next step and lose myself in finalising my artwork. And finally, exposure to the outside world. I generally don't find it easy to promote myself, especially on social media and in the art world…

The factory presents a space where the female body is increased as a means of defense and empowerment through physicality. Hair, nails, and teeth are added to the body, rather than managed or removed. The sets are built to juxtapose the figures' flesh and vulnerability with textured, repurposed materials. The spaces appear to be in a state of construction and change, just as the body itself is being reformed and re-identified. The images address the surreal nature of the body at large, constructed appearances, ideal gender performance, and how our physicality can communicate with others. While the work humorously points at the desperation of how women’s bodies are managed and adjusted, it also imagines how multiple female bodies can work together to build each other up. I question if patriarchal…

” THIS COLLECTION IS REPRESENTATIVE OF WOMEN IN IRAN, WHO ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO MAKE THE NEW TRANSFORMATION TO KEEP WOMEN’S IDENTITY ALIVE, REGARDLESS OF GENDER, ALONG WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND VIRTUAL CHANGES OF WOMEN AND REDUCTION OF THE ATTITUDES OF MISOGYNY AND PATRIARCHY IN SOCIETY. Delicate bodies and frail organs with great spirits and ambitious dreams are the coordinates of women of the land, on which they are still faced with a fundamental question: "Is being a woman an opportunity or a threat?" Every woman in the world, regardless of her class, race, age, ethnicity, nationality, and religion, has more in common with any other woman than with any man. "Misogyny" and "patriarchy" are the major barriers against the development of knowledge and the advancement of women in society.…

THE 'SELVES' The series Selves aims to artistically represent the psychological conflicts we face when we weigh ourselves based on socially determined of what is ideal and where we stand with the distorted and one-size that fits all defined. Ons of the ideal self. It tries to capture the turmoil a person witnesses and sustains within oneself to decide who they want to be. It shows the dips and dilemmas of the self in determining the self. This, in turn, pinpoints the stereotypical realm of the societybred thinking toward the ideal concepts, considering anything perfect is always ideal. This series tries to reflect upon the protagonist’s current state of self, which the person is highly dissatisfied with. It encompasses the struggles faced by the protagonist in deciding what the ideal…

”MY FACE AND BODY ARE THE MAIN INSTRUMENTS I USE TO INCARNATE THE IMAGES I WANT. STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AS A MODEL, I FOLLOW THE AGE-OLD THEATRICAL PLAYING ROLES. IT GIVES IMPETUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MY OWN MANNER OF NARRATION. A PART OF MY WORK, SHOOTING, IS AKIN TO A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE. AN URGE TO TELL THE VIEWER ABOUT EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS MANIFESTS ITSELF THROUGH THE CHARACTERS IN DIALOGUES WITH THE AUDIENCE. REVIVAL 2014 – 2017 Early on, Katerina Belkina (b. 1974) knew about her exceptional talent to see the world through different eyes. Born in Samara in the southeast of European Russia, she was raised in a creative atmosphere by her mother, a visual artist. Her education at the Art Academy and the School for…

”THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION HAS BEEN UNDERGOING A TREMENDOUS SHIFT POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY DUE TO MULTIPLE REVOLUTIONS, CIVIL AND INTERNATIONAL WARS, AND THREATS TO LONGSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL POWER STRUCTURES. MY PERSONAL HISTORY AS A NATURALISED UNITED STATES CITIZEN OF THE IRAQI-PALESTINIAN DIASPORA HAS BOUND ME TO AN INESCAPABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH SUCH ISSUES. BY EMPLOYING MY POSITION/IDENTITY/SELF, I INFILTRATE AND CONFRONT SPACES IN WHICH CONTROL AND DOMINATION ARE THE STATUS QUO. MY WORK CHALLENGES PREDICTABLE ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE POWER DYNAMICS BETWEEN THE STRONG AND THE WEAK, SHAPING NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR CONSIDERATION. IN BETWEEN TWO RIVERS, I RE-EMPOWER THE IMAGE OF THE IRAQI WOMEN, WHO WERE SUBJUGATED TO THE ‘SELLING OF THE WAR’ BY IMPERIAL FORCES TO THEIR CITIZENS IN WESTERN NATIONS. TRIBAL TATTOOS, SCARIFICATION AND TRADITIONAL IRAQI IDENTITY MARKERS…

Tetyana Erhart believes that photography is a way to preserve a person’s energy and express emotions at a particular moment. Photos revive feelings that were once felt. For example, a mother’s hand can evoke maternal love through a portrait. They can always bring us back to the most beautiful memories in life: when she brought you a coffee she made herself the last time you visited her, or a bowl of porridge or soup when you were sick in your childhood. Couples can also revisit their shared memories when they look through pictures of themselves from the past, connecting them to the essence of their relationship. As time passes, feelings fade, but photography brings us back to our experiences, allowing us to relive the best of our existence. Our personal…

"I drew inspiration from the paintings of the Dutch Golden Age in creating this series. The works of the 17th-century master painters combine an immediate visual draw with elements that slowly reveal themselves. They contain hidden secrets and clues that convey a message and address a taboo through symbolism. A perfect example of how first impressions can be deceiving. This presentation style seemed to suit my project perfectly, as the situation the portrayed women found themselves in is one of secrecy and hiding while pretending all is well. For this project, I combined staged portraits with still-lives. Through online forums, I approached five women who were severely traumatised in the past. Their personal stories are ones they used to keep hidden, as talking about what happened to them is considered…

"NATURE IS LIKE A WOMAN WHO ENJOYS DISGUISING HERSELF, AND WHOSE DIFFERENT DISGUISES, REVEALING NOW ONE PART OF HER AND NOW ANOTHER, PERMIT THOSE WHO STUDY HER AND ASSIDUOUSLY TO HOPE THAT ONE DAY THEY MAY KNOW THE WHOLE OF HER PERSON"-DENIS DIDEROT This series of portraits explores my own connection to the natural world. Women and nature are aligned in various ways, from symbolic to material. The concept of connecting women with nature dates back to ancient classical mythology, with several goddesses strongly associated with the earth, animals, and various stars and planets. In this project, I examine women and various aspects of the experience of being a woman through the rawness of nature. My goal is to show our beauty’s raw nature, resilience, endurance, power, gentleness, and vulnerability.…