Uldus Bakhtiozina

Bakhtiozina Uldus Vildanovna (born 22 July 1986) is a Russian photo based artist and photographer, known as the first Russian speaker in TED who documents folklore's fairy tales and challenges social stereotypes through the prism of her photographs, and one of Top 100 Women of 2014 year according BBC channel.

Early years

Uldus was born in Saint Petersburg, (former Leningrad of USSR), in a family with mixed religions and nationalities Muslim tatars father, Christian half Ukrainian mother, and Jewish step-sister. Uldus considers herself as a "child of rebuilding time" Perestroika in Russia, with open minds and free from stereotypes. In the beginning of her career she directed videos for German musician Popnoname – Anna, Change and Russian singer's Ilya Lagutenko Keta's project KETA – Clown.

Her first professional work as photographer was seria of ironic self-portraits, while she was studying in London, at University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins and London College of Communications. Though, she has received much influence on her art from the first degree in politics, which she gained in Russia at West-North Academy of public administration. National brackets, created by Russian society and everyday rejection to accept someone different had motivated Uldus to leave Russia when she was 21 years old and started a new life in London. She spent abroad 5 years in total, 3 years in England and 2 years in Asia (India, Nepal, Indonesia, Hong-Kong). Those travels gave to Bakhtiozina wider perception of life, helped to open to the world her vision, since she got the feeling that being different is much better, than hide it and faking the invisibility.

Career

Despite of the modern technology level she prefers an analogue camera instead of digital to catch the nature of an object, show its deepest edges and soul beneath them. For that purposes she uses medium format camera 6x7 and 120 film Kodak and old 35 mm film Leica R3 camera. All around objects, costumes, make-up and outfit are produced by her own to fill the story behind each photograph with her vision and imagination. That's important part of her works to make them unique and unforgettable.

Nowadays Uldus working in her mother land, there she has opened her studio of visual arts. She works with young generation of Russians, telling their stories in her art photography. Bakhtiozina's works are mixed of real stories and art vision, she creates photography with full respect to an aesthetic, focusing on balancing meaningful message and beauty. Bakhtiozina challenges gender and cultural norms with humor and magic, creating a fairy tale world for the viewer. Her works represent young generation of Russians today.

In 2014 Uldus became first Russian speaker in a history of TED, talking at TED conference in Vancouver, Canada about her photo project Desperate Romantics.^[1]

Uldus also spoke at Conference CDI conference in Mexico, as a finalist of Gifted Citizen Prize.^[2] In October 2014 Uldus was named one of the strongest women 2014 according BBC and took part in BBC debates and TV program 100 women,^[3] there her works was shown published at BBC channel. Uldus's photography were published in Vogue Italy, Aesthetica Magazine, C-41 Magazine and many others international publishers. Bakhtiozina's works widely exhibited in Russia, England, Berlin, Hong-Kong, Singapore and Milan. One of her work is now in collection of Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq RUYA is an Iraqi registered non-profit, non-governmental organization founded by Iraq art and culture enthusiasts with the aim of aiding and enriching culture in Iraq, and building cultural bridges with the world.

In April 2015 Uldus's artwork was selected and nominated in Leica + Vogue Italia with exhibition in Milan.

Since 28 May and 29 August has bee exhibited in Anna Nova Gallery, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Four of her works was included into Fabergé Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia collection. Also Uldus was awarded as a winner in May 2015 in TOP-50 Noble People of Saint-Petersburg by Sobaka.ru

Uldus is author and photographer of serial of photos for movie "He is dragon" poster (original "Он-дракон" )

Exhibitions

• Best of Russia 2011, awarded in "Style" category, group exhibition, Vinzavod, Moscow^[4]
• Self universe Gaze Gallery, Berlin, Germany, May 2013^[5]
• Desperate Romantics Anna Nova Gallery, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, September 2013^[6]
• Mysterious Russian soul, part of Vogue Italia + Leica Exhibitions, announced in April 2015
• Russ Land Anna Nova Gallery, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, May–August 2015^[7]

Publications

• BBC 100 Women 2014: Exploring stereotypes across Russia
• BBC Who are the 100 Women 2014?
• TED Talk Wry photos that turn stereotypes upside down
• Vogue Italia Arts, interview Uldus Bakhtiozina
• TED blog Of masks & magic: Uldus Bakhtiozina makes images that poke fun at stereotypes
• TED Blog A recap of the TED2014 Fellows Talks, Session 2
• Creative Review
• DeMilked
• The daily beast
• The culture trip Desperate Romantics
• C-41 Magazine Photographer ULDUS BAKHTIOZINA
• Aesthetica Magazine Interview with Photographer Uldus Bakhtiozina
• Worbz Magazine Photographer Uldus Bakhtiozina
• Russia Beyond headlines Russian fairy-tales through the prism of post-modernism
• BRIC + Breaks stereotypes with Magic
• CNN What is going on in these surreal photos of twisted Russian fairy tales?
• About shooting for poster "He is dragon"

References

External links

• Uldus official site
• Uldus official Facebook page
• Photographer Uldus Bakhtiozina
• Uldus Bakhtiozina at TED
  
• Uldus TED conference talk "Wry photos that turn stereotypes upside down"
• Uldus Bakhtiozina, Artist
• Uldus Bakhtiozina, Photographer and Visual Artist from Russia, TED Fellow