Matka by Anastassia Tretiakova

You studied fine arts and fashion photography. Can you tell us about your academic background and how it shaped your current practice?

‍I started a fine art course at Central Saint Martins in London because I wanted to do sculpture. I was concerned about what I was doing because the teachers gave us so much freedom with our practice. I began collecting people’s hair to make a dress and took pictures of a model with it to show it. At that time, I became interested in fashion photography, although it didn’t develop then. I felt lost and didn't know what to do. I also thought I wasn’t learning much in fine arts and realized being an artist was hard. At that point, I decided to switch to fashion photography at the London College of Fashion.

There, I realized I  was very possessive about my work –everything had to be my own. I’m also quite shy, and fashion photography requires collaboration with models, stylists, hair and make-up artists,  art directors, and more. Somehow, I couldn't do it, even though I wanted to pursue a career as a fashion photographer. I ended up doing self-portraits because I could be my model, do my makeup, and dress myself. At one point, my tutor suggested I return to fine arts because I couldn't collaborate with others. I was young and had this belief that everything had to come from me.

I worked on this possessiveness. It was hard, but I started helping a fashion designer after graduation. I enjoyed the studio environment a lot; so many things were going on at once. It made me appreciate the fashion industry.