Alongside our annual painted portrait exhibition there will be an exhibition of photography.
As part of the ‘In the Studio‘ project Aliona Adrianova portrait photographer, was invited to capture Royal Society of Portrait Painters member artists in their creative spaces where they spend most of their time, thinking, researching, experimenting and creating work. She visited artists in their studios, located all over the UK, to create a series of intimate and often unexpected portraits.
Aliona is a portrait photographer interested in the inner world of the individual, especially those with a creative nature. She was able to pursue and develop her interest in art when she switched careers, swapping finance for photography. Since then, her work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Sunday Times, Tatler, Condé Nast Traveller, Country Life, Observer Magazine, Forbes, and Vision, as well as featuring in advertising campaigns for National Geographic Channels International and Bentley & Skinner.
Many men and women have talents, but not everyone is loyal to those talents or committed enough to sacrifice comfort and ease in order to deal with the demands and challenges artists face everyday.
I believe that creative energy, when nurtured and focused, gives artists a truthful vision of the world. That is why portrait painters often ‘unmask’ their sitters to reveal the unexpected facet of their character. In some instances, artists have even imagined or predicted future events through their creative work.
I relish working with artists who help me view the world from a different perspective, often challenging my own views in the process. In this way new ideas present themselves – ideas I might never have arrived at myself. The whole process is a vital learning experience for me. – Aliona Adrianova.
This exhibition of photographs will run alongside our Annual Exhibition 2018.