Viktoriia Temnova
Stella of Kherson, 2022
The shooting gallery in the park of Kherson, 2022
I shot this photo in May 2021. In Kyiv, I’ve been calling myself the ambassador of Kherson because I talk a lot about my city. I talk about it as it is, describing its benefits and imperfections. That’s why I decided to do this shot to make it clear where I come from, but, I guess, it’s written on my face.
About the Artist
Viktoriia Temnova (1993) is a photographer from Kherson, who moved to Kyiv in 2013. From the very childhood, photography was her main passion, which ended up being her profession. Her works were published in such magazines as Naked magazine, Vogue Italia, Vogue Ukraine, L’Officiel Ukraine and Marie Claire. In 2022, after the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Viktoriia was temporarily relocated to Berlin. Viktoriia’s works contribute mainly to fashion photography, but her style lies on the border with art experiments. She gained her popularity because of the original aesthetics - play with colour and silhouettes, theatrical stylization of images and dynamic composition of the shot. She researches a post-soviet soul in new conditions of Ukrainian reality and manifests a flow of life in the city and citizens’ attempts to survive in it.
I have been doing the photo shoot in the park and decided to ask for the gun, as a prop to make several shots with. Now, this picture has a totally different mood. Now I feel scared when I look at this image. Currently, many Ukrainians hold guns in their hands, but not to win a teddy bear. Ukrainians are dying with guns in their hands, protecting our freedom, our homes, and our lives.