Tell us about your finalist work for the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025. When and where was it created? What is its concept? How does it fit into your photographic practice?
This project carries a deeply personal meaning for me — the images in it have, in a way, lived two lives. For two years I photographed exclusively in black and white. That choice was closely tied to a difficult period: when the war began between two countries that are both close to my heart, my world lost its stability and the basic principles of my life seemed to collapse. The colors in my work — and in my own perception of life — faded.
Photography became my way of processing this shift. While I can’t say I’ve fully come to terms with the global events or found all the answers, I did reach an important realization: my life and my family’s life go on and only I can rebuild my inner world. This understanding inspired me to bring color back into my work — as a way to heal, to reconnect and to give hope. That is how this project was born: a visual journey where color returns, bringing life back with it.
What projects are you currently working on? What are your near-future plans for photographic production?
I continue to photograph often and extensively with my phone and I still take part in various contests. I also embroider, though less frequently these days. I have several very long-term projects in mind, connected to themes of children and home. At the moment, however, there isn’t one single idea that has completely absorbed me. It feels as though I’m in a quiet, reflective phase — pausing, gathering strength and waiting for something new and significant to arrive.
