Conceptual nominee

This project evolved from a university task titled "Gitanes". Photography students have been asked to deconstruct the famous cigarettes brand "Gitanes" and create works inspired by this. However, we were not asked to do either an advertisement or subvertisement, we were free to express ourselves. To me, smoking, cigarettes and their marketing are nothing positive, inspiring or romantic, even though I used to be a smoker. Most smoking-related works focus on the health side of the habit. Smokers, in turn, answer that it is their own health that they are harming, so it is only their business, no one else’s. This project is not to do with the way smoking affects people’s health, but to do with the fact that seemingly personal habit actually affects everything around. One cannot see any positive effects of this influence, thus the viewer is encouraged to question the existing way of thinking about smoking. In the series, which have been created in slightly different styles and genres, but connected with the same topic, I explore various outcomes of smoking or hint at them through documentary street photography, set-up portraiture and even art object, created by me specifically for this project.

Fine art and documentary photographer, eco-activist. Currently studying on BA (Hons) Photography course, 2nd Year, at British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow, previously - at Camberwell College of Arts (UAL) in London. Working as a stringer photographer and correspondent for Ridus (ridus.ru) news agency in Moscow, mainly covering the topic and the events of the environment. Coordinator and creator of #MosEco environmental project that works on the boundary of art and activism, and has become very popular in Moscow and the whole of Russia. In addition, working as a freelance photographer in collaboration with various activist groups and NPOs, as well as pursuing personal fine-art and documentary photography practice, also mainly on the bothering topics of the environment, cityscape, social inequality, human and animal rights, politics etc. Participated in several exhibitions in Moscow, London and Barcelona.