Everything begins with entity…

The idea to show prints of Anastasiia Zavalo in Odessa has catch into my mind last year, when I've seen her personal exhibition 'Entities' during photo festival in Chernigiv. Subtle and delicate portraits of ordinary things made by Anastasiia were full of sense.

During all history of philosophy best human minds was trying to understanding what is entity of subject. And sometimes only true artist can stop the time and catch the entity. For my opinion, Anastasiia Zavalo is one from them. She was born in Kiev. After graduation from university where she studied math and computer sciences works as analyst. She travels a lot. She began to take pictures more than 10 years ago with an old camera of her father.  'I never had digital camera.' - She told me - 'I'm not against digital photography. Camera is just a tool.

That times I had no money for digital camera, later understood that still can have what I want with my film camera.' Once she met well-known Ukrainian photographer Alexander Ranchukov and became his student. He taught her how to work with traditional black and white materials, he showed the path of creation photography. The path of creation photography one should not understand as linear. This is spiral path, and all components from beginning to the end are very important.

So, it's happened that in the beginning of 2012, Anastasiia spent three months traveling in India. Exhibition "Hindustan" is not a common travel photo. This is investigation of culture and living in modern India from completely other side. We can see straight, documental, sometimes ironic, sometimes dramatic photos.  This is the path given by her teacher. Only when we can wipe our egoism, we can extend our limits.

Nataly Chekh, curator.
Photos © Anastasiia Zavalo