Alena Zhandarova (1988, Russia) creates a magical atmosphere through the real world, using ordinary things in extraordinary situations. For her latest work she used social media to find women living in her hometown, Ivanovo: once the country’s textile capital but due to an overabundance of women today dubbed the City of Brides. Using props from their homes, Zhandarova creates new ‘personas’, imaginary characters contemplating their living situation. These portraits reveal the women’s uniqueness as well as the common threads that tie them together. Zhandarova’s City Of Brides won the 2012 LUCEO Student Project Award, announced at Look3: The Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia (USA).

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