It’s been wonderful to see the meteoric success 2020 Student Photographer of the Year Ioanna Sakellaraki has enjoyed over the past 18 months. With an impressive number of international media titles, photo festivals and highly respected industry figures sharing such positive feedback on The Truth is in Soil, Ioanna is fast cementing her place within the photography world.
© Ioanna-Sakellaraki
Her celebrated series is an elegy to her late father. All shot on medium format film – Ioanna uses a Zenza Bronica SQ-A – the project explores grief, her homeland and the traditions linked. ‘Through my images I want to talk about what is lost,’ she says. ‘To me, these images work as vehicles for mourning perished ideals of vitality, prosperity and belonging, attempting to tell something further than their subjects by creating a space where death can exist.’
Creating photographs imbued with delicacy and feeling, the series cannot help but stir. Ioanna’s distinctive style is the result of her countless experiments with her negatives. Playing with light and shade, colour and texture, the final collection is an intriguing mixture of portrait, landscape and abstract imagery.
Now Ioanna brings the collection together into a hardback, clothbound book. ‘Publishing this book marks the end of a journey for me and the transition into a new phase. I can only hope for it to become a source of empathy, strength and inspiration for the ones who will acquire it,’ she says.
Collaborating with reputable visual arts publisher GOST Books, the title is sure to be exquisite and printed to the highest quality. Accompanying the photographs will be a collection of essays written by Ioanna - a fascinating addition to truly understanding her research and critical thinking that went into her five year project. Special editions will also be available and presented in a handmade clothbound slipcase. With pledges ranging from £35 to £250, take a look at how you can support Ioanna’s project here. Closes 16th November.
Support Ioanna's project on Kickstarter
Ioanna will be joining us on Instagram for an Ask Me Anything session this Friday from 10am to 12 noon BST. Ask her your questions related to long term projects and to best approach publishers.
