Andie Riekstina
Greyscale
It began as a darkroom study during the prolonged COVID lockdowns, when the artist spent hours in complete darkness searching for the appropriate developing and exposure times, as well as the chemicals to achieve the desired partial solarization appearance.
The goal of this ongoing project is to give subjects a mysterious presence from another world, that is both subtle and also enveloping.
What started as curiosity-driven research has turned into an obsession with constructing a new reality that allows the viewer to see beyond the slightly classical arrangement of the portrait and delve into the new, sometimes unpredictable layer, where the darkness of the eyes, the shadows of the cheekbones and fingers, or other details, have taken on a life of their own, as if showing a timeless side of existence where everything and nothing happens simultaneously.
Andie Riekstina (Riga, Latvia.)
They grew up surrounded by music and artists. They have always worked within the field of arts in various positions and have been educated in different areas, from glassblowing to documentary filmmaking and gender studies. Moving to Berlin gave them the impetus to fully dedicate themselves to photography.
They focus on dismantling social constructs and exploring ways to oppose binary gender roles, not limiting themselves to a single medium or technique. Andie’s work aspires to showcase the character and uniqueness of the subject, their personality, and feelings. For them, photography and cinematography are forms of communication, teamwork, and dialogue, as well as a way to escape mundane reality and build a better, more inclusive, and kinder world.
