About Self-Intimacy: An Interview With Yatender (NSFW)

From being a muse to becoming a photographer herself, Vietnam based photographer Yatender shares a piece of her intimacy through self-portrait stories. From playing a role, it soon evolved into a serious project about knowing and accepting your own body and feelings. Get to know her work with these two series: Persona and Mute.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m Ya. I started to take photos since when photography is an easiest way to express my feelings. To me, words can’t express everything.

How did you first get into photography and into shooting self-portraits?

From an age-old relationship with my first love. The time during which we were both infatuated with each other, and that I used to be his muse; that's where the first seed of photography was planted. The photography experiences have fascinated and enthralled me, then one day I decided to do something with a camera. I want to capture my feelings and emotions. I wanted to put my life in front of the camera, to shoot the same subject but using different people, different time, and completely different emotions. I wanted to continue catching the personal changes of myself and others in my time life. At that time I saw it more like playing a game with a body, allowing it to free its emotions, etc., than it serious project.

What’s your experience with analogue photography? Why and what do you shoot on film?

At first I just wanted to try another way of catching moments around me, but I found that the unique qualities and limitations of film amazed me. I love an unexpected result, the sound of a flash, or the excitement of waiting for a roll to be developed.. These things that film has gave to me I truly love, and will never bore of them.

What is the idea behind your work? What are you trying to express through the medium of photography?

Human beings are very sensitive, vulnerable and get hurt easily. Life is fragile and we all break in different ways. Just accept yourself as who you are; there is no right or wrong, just our own feelings. That’s all I am trying to do – to capture feelings, and in the process, learning how to accept them as a part of our body.

What’s different about shooting self-portraits as opposed to photographing other people? Which do you prefer and why?

It’s about the individual! When I’m shooting self-portraits, I sing my own song - a song I wrote with my experience and my emotions. When I’m photographing other people, they give me the chance to sing their songs. Sometimes someone can also sing my song. Right now I’m looking for a duet, I want to see how my body interact with another. Can we both sing the same song?

What have you learnt about yourself through your self-portraits? How has your perception of your own body changed?

I accept my body as it is. It serves as a reminder of everything I’ve done. Each scar and bruise remind me of a time I shared my body. By focusing on the memory instead of the physical, I feel very thankful for what I had, not what I lost.

You’re based in Vietnam, a country not necessarily known for its vibrant art scene. What’s reality like as a photographer in Saigon/Vietnam?

The art community here is, as to be expected, still a bit under-developed, but optimistically speaking, that means there'll be territories of uncharted water, waiting to be explored. Under circumstances, my passion can sometimes wear thin, though fortunately, I still have friends by my side. And while my energy is at the bottom, I look outside for inspirations: like some stories about a water meter reader in China who captures unexpected moments during his lunch break and journey home after work, or a Japanese taxi driver takes multiple exposures while looking for passengers. Stories like these help me stay on tracks, rekindle my spirit for pursuing the passion for photography. To me, there is no boundary, everyone can feel stuck and limited in their environment, but as long as they keep their eyes open, they are certain to find inspiration.

All photographs shown in this article were used by the permission of Yatender. If you want to see more of her beautiful work, check her Website and follow her on Instagram .

written by charlie_cat on 2017-01-26 #people #self-portrait