Interview: Nina Pauloff
Luca Curci talks with Nina Pauloff during Venice International Art Fair 2021 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

Visual artist and creative internationally awarded professional photographer. Nominated Qualified European Photographer in Fine Art photography by Federation of European Photographers organization. Member of The Finnish Professional Photographers’ Association, Porvoo Art Association and Lovisa Art Association.

LUCA CURCI – How did you get to photography? Do you remember why you took your first professional photo?
NINA PAULOFF – I have been working in the field of photography since 2001. During the two decades I’ve done everything that involves with photographs and photography. I made my first art pictures to my portfolio in 1998, when I applied to study to the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.

LC – According to you, what makes a good photo? Which details do you focus on?
NP – In a good art work, colours, shapes and visuality appeal to me. Colours are a force that affects the soul and mind. I am interested in the vitality of colours, and I like to use them in my work. I am a sensualist, and I seek a strong sense of sensuality in what I do. For me, photography means exploring, structuring, perceiving, and interpreting reality. I am interested in the unconscious emergence through the image – it is the process by which something essential becomes visible for example, abstract forms cannot be explained in words – it is a language that must be read with the heart.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
NP – I am inspired by the light, form, and moments that help me structure my presence and the surrounding world around me. As an innovative visual artist, I also closely follow the artistic and technical developments in the field of visual arts, as well as international content flows.

LC – What is your creative process like?
NP – Visual choices in the aesthetic structure of an art work are based on elements of lights and shadows, which, in addition to the camera, are a functional tool for me, with moods created through colours and textures playing an important role in my work. By varying perspectives and varying the photographic techniques applied to them, I create a reality that oscillates between semiotics, surrealism, and colorism, determined by the internal terms of the works of art, regardless of time and place. My way of working is a combination of a planned and intuitive creative process. The starting point is always a thematic idea, which I study in a dialogue of superficiality and depth – external and internal character, and form and content, the end result being an art of work with a research goal and an interactive function.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your works?
NP – Sometimes a work of art takes up too much of its author, and therefore it can be hard to stick to the original plan. It is a double-edged sword, but it should not be feared.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
NP – My goals were to present the world of experience of the Russian Firebird fairy tale with the Goethe colour scale, where the accent colours of the individual works engage in a dialogue with each other, creating a unified set of images. The starting point of my work was in the world of colour and form. With the logical use of colour, my goal was to create a beautiful harmonious slide, as well as a perfect reproduction of the colour circle for each feather, with a carefully chosen colour acting as a key point of value. The art work emphasizes in visual language – a dreamlike utopia, a distant and melancholy atmosphere. Visual choices in the image area are based on elements of colours and feather textures, with moods created through lights and shadows being relevant.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? How did it inspire you?
NP – I find the changing exhibition themes and the internationally significant exhibition venues very inspiring.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
NP – The ITS LIQUID Platform is an international and very well-functioning platform for artists working in the field of visual arts.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
NP – Yes, absolutely.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
NP – Yes. Special thanks to Luca Curci and ITS LIQUID Group.