On Womanhood
Varvara Gorbunova
My way of seeing, as a photographer, is closely connected to and was constructed in the female environment, which I’d always look through, but not look at. This series is an attempt to do that. The history of my family has had a profound effect on my photographic practice. Revisiting my artistic choices and themes always brings me back to my roots, to my matriarchal family. Ever since my parents divorced, my coming-into-age world had been populated solely by women. My inner lens got focused on my mom, sisters, and grandmothers. Documenting the flux of daily routines, touching and mundane moments has turned into an artistic study that unfolds and reveals the very nature of womanhood that shaped me as a woman.
Varvara Gorbunova is a portrait and documentary photographer based in Prague, Czech Republic. Her work often centres around intimacy and connection exploring themes such as longing, sensuality, family and identity. She is dedicated to representing her subjects with honesty and openness, highlighting their humanity and providing viewers with various ways to connect with their stories. Varvara’s photography invites to experience the raw, unfiltered moments of her subjects' lives, creating powerful narratives that resonate across cultures and backgrounds.
Varvara earned her BA in Photography at the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) where she continues to study in pursuit of her Master’s degree. Her work has been featured in collective exhibitions across the globe including Prague (CZ), Rome (IT), Toronto (CA) , Amsterdam (NL) and shortlisted for various awards and festivals (Belfast Photo Festival, Fresh Eyes International Talents, Palm Photo Prize).
Coming Home
Have you ever tried putting into words the feeling of coming home after being away for a while?
It carries a certain weight of melancholy - you see your parents getting older, buildings getting demolished and rivers running dry. Everything looks familiar, yet different. Yet it is so warm and comforting. It tastes like grandma’s cooking and smells like bonfire. It is fleeting, but somehow ever present. It’s like you’re covered with a big, soft duvet and no troubles or worries can get to you. You feel so light you’re almost floating and the whole world seems so far away. You dive into the sea of fuzzy memories where time is reversed and childhood emerges from the past to become your present again.