The scars of a separation inspired Marta Azevedo’s series of self-portraits titled Symbiosis, a finalist in the Photo Essay category of the FotoDoc Photo Contest. Clay serves as a metaphor for life’s harshness, while flowers represent light, color, and hope for the future.
Created between 2015 and 2017 in her home studio in Rio de Janeiro, the work reflects Azevedo’s decades-long journey in photography. A self-taught artist, she honed her craft by studying portrait masters like Irving Penn, Platon, Nana Moraes, and Bob Wolfenson. Since 2006—when she lived in the U.S. and began experimenting with studio flashes—she developed a signature lighting style through trial and error.
Beyond self-portraiture, her work includes an extensive project photographing Afro-descendants, both celebrities and everyday people. Learn more in the interview below.
How old are you? Where do you currently live and work?
I’m 69 years old, living in Rio de Janeiro, where I work from a home photography studio.
Tell us about your journey in photography. When did you start, and why? What role does photography play in your life?
I started at 18 with a small camera. Years later, I fell in love with portraiture, capturing family and friends while studying greats like Irving Penn, Platon, Nana Moraes, and Bob Wolfenson. I developed my own focus on faces and their expressions.
Initially, I used natural light but disliked its unpredictability. In 2006, while living in the U.S., I bought strobes and built a home studio, learning lighting through trial and error. I’m self-taught—always learning.
Tell us about your work selected as a finalist for the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025. When and where was it created? What was your vision? How does it fit into your broader body of work?
Symbiosis was shot in my Rio studio (2015–2017). I’ve always enjoyed creative self-portraits, but after a difficult divorce, I conceived this series: clay for life’s roughness, flowers for hope.
What projects are you currently working on? What are your near-future plans for your photographic practice?
I’m continuing my Afro-descendant portrait project (featuring both famous and anonymous subjects) while further exploring self-portraiture.
Translated by Deepseek AI
