
Otherworldly Nature Photography by Inna Etuvgi
ARTIST STATEMENT
Inna Etuvgi - an art photographer, based in Sweden.
Etuvgi was born in 1982 in a small village on the shores of the Arctic Ocean in Chukotka, Russia.
In 2005, Etuvgi graduated from the Faculty of Technical Cybernetics of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University with honors and a master's degree. In 2018, Etuvgi moved to Sweden, where, inspired by the local nature, she started macro photography in 2020. Technical education became for the author a good basis for self-education in photography, which in turn became her ideal way to express feelings and explore the world.
In 2022, Etuvgi became a finalist at the Arte Laguna Prize 16 with her macro photos of Cladonia Stellaris lichens. And in 2023, the artist was granted a stipend from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.

Etuvgi has a visual blindness of the mind called Aphantasia: she can't visualize either memories or dreams about the future. She explains that her imagination does not produce images but instead relies on mental concepts, ideas, and emotions. Despite this limitation, Etuvgi has found a way to express her creativity through photography. She views the camera as an instrument, a kind of prosthesis that allows her to see the imaginary world and transform her concepts into visual form.
"For me, photography is a creative experiment and a journey of discovery. It is an opportunity to capture the essence of my ideas and emotions. I perceive nature's photography as a dialogue with nature when it speaks with me in the visual language, telling stories that I can capture to share with others.
Growing up in the far north, I have always been fascinated by the small and delicate creatures like mosses and lichens that inhabit these regions. While exploring the world of nature with the camera's macro lens and learning more about its tiny species, I experience the surreal feeling of blurring the line between dream and reality, which becomes the basis for my artwork.
My photography aims to showcase the intricate beauty of the macro world of northern nature that often goes unnoticed. I offer to get to know the world around us better, just as we want to get to know someone we fall in love with. I believe, "the more we know about the world of Nature, the more we fall in love!" - says Etuvgi.
COLLECTIONS OF ARTWORKS
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
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2023 -Macrophotography as another way to see the world - Solo Exhibition - Persgården Galleri, Visingsö, Sweden (8 April - 25 May)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
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2023 - ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE - Arsenale of Venice, Italy (11 March - 16 April)
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2023 - Photography in the Visual Culture - Centro Internazionale di Fotografia, Palermo, Italy
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2022 - Visingsö konstrunda - «Visingsö konstrunda» - Visingsö, Sweden
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2021 - S.Eufemia Art Gallery - «SMERALDO» - Venice, Italy
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2021 - Visingsö konstrunda - «Visingsö konstrunda» - Visingsö, Sweden
HONORS, AWARDS AND GRANTS:
2023 - Stipendi grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2022 - Finalist artist at the ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE 16
2020 - Arte Laguna Prize 15 - became an artist in the spotlight.
2020 - Top 12 best photographers at the thematic contest «Art photography 2020» by 35AWARDS.
2020 - Top 8 of best photos and Top 9 of best photographers at the thematic contest «Abstract shot by phone 2020» by 35AWARDS.
ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS:
2023 - PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE VISUAL CULTUR - a book by SerradifalcoEditore
2021 - NEW YORK STYLE GUIDE - article "Discover Sant' Eufemia gallery and the Emerald Exhibition"
2021 - MARIKA MAGAZINE NATURE & TRAVELS (Issue 791 - April), Kavyar
2020 - MARIKA MAGAZINE NATURE & TRAVELS (Issue 468 - December - published on the cover), Kavyar
