honorable mention
Una Taal latvia
title
SHOOTING STARS
New relationships lie in the foundation of life these women strive to build over the unhealable wound. Underlying theme of loss and fear appear in these works as an indicator of the emotionally fragile time women are thrown in unsupported and unprepared.
She was born in Valka, a small town on the border with neighbouring Estonia. Her first contact with art was at the age of 12, when she entered the Art School. There she studied composition, painting, art history and drawing. Una’s professional path leads through years of experience in event production and music management. Documenting backstage life of Latvian musicians started as a passion project and resulted as the urge to pursue further studies in photography.
Year 2021 became a landmark in Una’s creative biography by publishing her first photo book “Her Northern Roots”. The book narrates a story of Latvian women, their values, traditions, and necessity to define their own place individually and collectively. Over a hundred women, from a little girl holding her mother’s hand to the former President of Latvia, were captured in their own places of strength, solace and inspiration forming one whole vision of a contemporary Latvian woman.
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entry description
These are real women who have experienced miscarriage or for different reasons cannot have children at all. They are often left alone with their pain hence they seek solace in nature. Nature does nor judge, does not give false promises, it gives them the comfort and simple presence while the rest of the life becomes a difficult relationship with the own body, the surrounding world, and the prejudices of society.New relationships lie in the foundation of life these women strive to build over the unhealable wound. Underlying theme of loss and fear appear in these works as an indicator of the emotionally fragile time women are thrown in unsupported and unprepared.
about the photographer
Una Taal is known for her compelling portraying of seemingly ordinary scenes through her ability to notice meaningful details that convey a multi layered story of either a person, a place or experience. Her chosen language mostly is black and white photography, but the captured emotional background covers all colour spectrums. She manages to pull the right strings by carefully bringing very personal, private issues to the public surface hence encouraging the fragile yet often uncomfortable topics.She was born in Valka, a small town on the border with neighbouring Estonia. Her first contact with art was at the age of 12, when she entered the Art School. There she studied composition, painting, art history and drawing. Una’s professional path leads through years of experience in event production and music management. Documenting backstage life of Latvian musicians started as a passion project and resulted as the urge to pursue further studies in photography.
Year 2021 became a landmark in Una’s creative biography by publishing her first photo book “Her Northern Roots”. The book narrates a story of Latvian women, their values, traditions, and necessity to define their own place individually and collectively. Over a hundred women, from a little girl holding her mother’s hand to the former President of Latvia, were captured in their own places of strength, solace and inspiration forming one whole vision of a contemporary Latvian woman.
back to gallery