Biography
Kseniia Antipina, *1992, Bashkortostan Rep., Russia
Lives and works in Berlin, Germany since 2017
Kseniia Antipina grew up in a small, remote town and had no exposure to art but was interested in using a camera to capture moments in life. Upon moving to Kazan to read history at university, she was introduced to creative professions and felt a strong desire to create things with her own hands. After further studies in painting at the Russian-Italian Art School, also in Kazan, she went on to graphic design at a private university in Moscow. In 2017, she moved to Berlin and developed a passion for staged photography, initially as a hobby and then as her primary occupation. Since 2021 she has participated in numerous international exhibitions. In 2023, Kseniia won first place with the Julia Margaret Cameron Award together with the special Book Award, curated and funded by FotoNostrum. In 2024, she received the Gold Award in the Contemporary category at the World Masters of Photography competition in Vienna.
Artist statement
I create surreal images using a camera. For each photograph, I develop a personal scenario and manually create dreamlike or uncomfortable settings: I might sculpt, embroider, paint, or apply body makeup. Then I add a person who ends up in search of the place he or she belongs. It is myself, close family or friend. In my work I currently use a large format digital camera, without applying artificial intelligence or computer graphics. However, I abundantly perform color corrections.
I enjoy finding a visual expression for invisible emotions. For this, I often use the trick of hiding the face of my character and conveying his or her emotions through different channels such as surrounding objects or body poses. I invite the viewer into a world where reality and fantasy blend, and puzzling scenes serve as a bridge between the inner world of emotions and external reality.