Woman
Photographer: Zuza Chałupniczak
1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?
I grew up in an old Poznań neighbourhood where pre-war tenements cracked like the city’s wrinkles. Peeling plaster etched continents, and the glow of stairwells painted scenes richer than any studio. That’s where I learned that aesthetics needs no luxury—only an attentive eye. Watching Freedom! ’90 with my mum, I saw Linda, Naomi and Christy prove that beauty only resonates when it carries character. Since then I’ve been drawn to faces whose “imperfection” is sculpted by their story. Today my vision rests on authenticity: gesture, the unguarded moment, the flaw. I work only with people who let me stay myself, because a lens senses pretence faster than any human can.
2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?
The session later titled “Whispers of Grace” paired the raw eye of Belarusian photographer Illya Batulin with my styling inspired by Hollywood’s golden era. We shot solely in natural light, no retouching. Raised on street-documentary, Illya never had to ask me for breaks in motion—I felt them instinctively. I, used to choreographed poses, allowed myself a rehearsed surrender.
The result? Analogue frames where the old-Hollywood elegance of the gown collides with a tripod’s shadow and imperfection becomes composition. Trust between us opened a space for images you can’t storyboard alone.
3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?
The biggest test is the very shoot you’re publishing today. In an empty studio it was just two women—photographer Zuza and me. No crew; we were the crew. Zuza, with her uncanny feel for daylight, turned a single window into the best soft-box imaginable, then handled the subtleties of retouch herself. Meanwhile I posed, styled and did my own make-up.
We finished everything in an hour; one austere backdrop was enough to build a full narrative. Zuza guided me with a feather-light touch: a hint of shoulder here, a micro-pause for breath—and the frame came alive. Every skin blemish and fabric crease she turned into an asset; I felt the shutter catching the true me.
The shoot showed that when two women fuse craft with mutual awe, minimal means transform into maximum authenticity. A studio without lights became the brightest place on my creative path—that’s how the “Woman” series was born, a tale of fragility and strength.
4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?
Partnership with the photographer: before I face a lens I ask about inspirations, absorb the project’s energy and add my own pulse. Two sensitivities merge into one narrative. I splice the rebellious authenticity of the ’90s with today’s hunger for truth, portraying a woman who doesn’t play a model but directs her own story. Serious craft, playful spirit—I prepare styling, sweat the details, yet treat every frame as a playground for emotion. That mix of discipline and freedom keeps the images technically polished yet vibrating with life.
5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?
I’m not building a ladder of grand plans—modeling is self-expression and pure joy. This cover fulfils the dream of the little girl who clipped models from magazines. From here I follow three signposts:
Stay curious – enter projects that teach new emotions and movement, whatever their scale.
Share the space – if my shoots give women courage, that’s a milestone already.
Keep it light – even the most professional set needs a spark of play; that’s how photos breathe.
Future publications and exhibitions will be gifts, not mandatory steps. What matters is that every session brings the same thrill I felt holding my first cover.
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Model: Kamila Kwiatkowska
Photographer: Zuza Chałupniczak