Everyday visions: ten must-see blogs by new female creatives
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A new generation of creative women is redefining image-making from Russia and Ukraine. Here’s our selection of the brightest talents in photography, visual art, design and filmmaking to look out for — as showcased through their online diaries and blogs.
Alexandra Zakharenko (artist, DJ)
Based between Moscow and Berlin, Alexandra Zakharenko’s professional portfolio is full of drawings, sketchbooks, zines and design works while her side project Whalesfat is a stream of self-portraits of a rather curious nature.
Yekaterina Bazhenova (visual artist)
Yekaterina Bazhenova has a lot to say (or rather show) about the body and femininity: challenging conventions of beauty and sexuality is central to her work. Her blog exposes her work in progress: video stills, tearsheets and newly published imagery.
Masha Mel (photographer)
The online diary of London-based photographer Masha Mel is a mixture of work, covers and editorials for POP, TANK, Vice and other publications, and play — backstages and occasional personal shots rich with the same extraordinary sense of colour that has made her career in fashion.
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Cassiopeia Project (design project)
London-based design project Cassiopeia set up by Irina Kikina and Maria Gribova produces silk scarves in collaboration with visual artists from all over the world. The blog is an insight into their creative process with numerous visual references.
Nadia Bedzhanova (filmmaker)
Filmmaker Nadia Bedzhanova not only produces award winning short films (watch her film Adrift here), but also has an excellent eye for the cinematic moments of the everyday, as reflected in the photo diary of her daily life in New York.
Masha Batsea (visual artist)
Ukrainian visual artist Masha Batsea is inspired both by everyday objects like palm trees and potatoes as well as tools of the internet such as gifs and emojis. You could watch her mind-blowing graphics forever.
Naadia (musician)
Nadezhda Gritskevich aka Naadia is one of the brightest stars of the Russian independent music scene and a prominent female voice in songwriting. In her blog she posts new songs, videos combined with links and found images under the header “Sing in Russian”.
Dina Lun (photographer)
Freelance photographer and journalist Dina Lun spends most of the year travelling in Asia and Europe. Her photo diary resembles a surreal garden of Eden: a mix of beautiful people, adventures and exotic tropical plants.
Ksusha Mikhailova (photo editor)
In her blog Salmon Salt, Moscow-based photo editor Ksusha Mikhailova showcases a professional eye for all sorts of imagery — and particularly the gems of beauty and weirdness found in the wide ocean of the internet.
Gina Onegina (visual artist)
Visual artist and product designer Gina Onegina is incredibly good at putting colours and shapes together, and her blog supplies an endless amount of eye candy including her own works and occasional self-portraits.
