We recently had the chance to connect with Angelika Kollin and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Angelika, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I am walking an artistic path of self-knowledge, while growing my ability to use both my voice and my work to spark change and challenge harmful, outdated narratives.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I was born in 1976 in Estonia and am currently based in Tampa, Florida, where I work as a fine art and documentary photographer. Though I am self-taught, I deepened my practice by completing the Academy Fotografika’s 1.5-year online documentary photography course in 2023. Alongside my artistic projects, I have freelanced for many years, building experience across diverse contexts while staying committed to the themes that drive my work. My passion for photography is profoundly rooted in a desire to explore the complexities of human connection and the deeper meaning behind existence. Much of my work is driven by a lifelong quest to understand emotional landscapes, common themes of human existence, and to consider the role that faith plays. In my images, I strive for honesty and unapologetic directness while conveying intimacy, emotional depth, and dignity.
I am particularly drawn to portraiture and documentary-style projects, especially long-term work that allows me to explore people’s lives in depth. Over the course of eight years living in Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa, I was able to immerse myself in diverse cultures and economic realities, which greatly enriched my practice. At present, I am developing two ongoing projects—”Mary’s Children” and “Land of the Immortals”—while also exploring the evolving relationship between art and Web3.
My work has been recognized by international awards and institutions, including the Sony Photography Award (Finalist, 2024), the Portrait category of CPOY 78, the Professional Series category of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award (2024), the Bartur Photo Award Founders Choice (2023), Best in Competition from FMoPA (2023), and the Lensculture 1st Prize (2020) and Finalist (2022), among others. My photographs have been published in outlets such as CNN, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Der Greif, Musée Magazine, PhotoVogue, and F-Stop Magazine.
I have exhibited my work internationally, with highlights including the Dokfoto Keskus Center in Tallinn, the Helsinki Foto Festival, a Lensculture group exhibition in New York, a solo show in Cape Town, the OFF Foto Festival in Bratislava, the FotoNostrum gallery in Barcelona, and The International Photographer group exhibition in Berlin, among others.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I had my first entrepreneurial experience around the age of nine or ten, and I remember how accomplished and clever it made me feel. I used the small amount of birthday money I had saved to buy as much light cotton fabric as I could afford. Being handy with craft, especially sewing, I created a simple collection of matching skirts for mothers and daughters. On Saturday, I brought them to the market, where they sold out instantly. This was during Soviet times, when such independent initiatives were frowned upon and heavily criticized, which made the success feel even more thrilling and subversive.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wound of my life was growing up with alcoholics, not only enduring the trauma of unpredictability, chaos, and occasional violence, but also carrying into adulthood the patterns of a classic child of alcoholics. It has taken me most of my adult life to recognize and slowly heal the fears and perceived inadequacies born from that experience: the feelings of not being good enough, not being wanted, not being deserving. Much of my work, including my multiple award-winning long-term project Parenthood, has been driven by the deep desire to understand and transform this part of my history. In truth, almost all of my work is rooted in my past, an exploration of how those early experiences shaped who I am and how I see others.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Most people who would answer this question with “yes” are probably mistaken. Yet, at the risk of being wrong, I still believe that I am my real self in public. My work, artist talks, and interviews are deeply honest and authentic. Even at the risk of oversharing, I strive to give the most truthful answers and to show up as my genuine self, to the best of my ability.
It hasn’t always been easy for me, but I believe that only by showing up fully do we stand a chance of living a life aligned with our true purpose and meaning. Anything less, half measures, filtered versions of ourselves, can’t bring depth to who we are or to what we create in this world, whether it’s art, friendship, or love.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would never again open social media. I would no longer give my time to anyone I don’t feel a genuine connection or curiosity toward. I would stop feeding my mind with the constant noise of the news. I would never postpone expressing my feelings to the people I love. I would tell them, again and again, how much they mean to me. I would never multitask again. I would stop acting as if there is unlimited time. And most importantly, I would stop searching outside myself for peace or love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.angelikakollin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelikakollin/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-kollin-233336261/
- Twitter: https://x.com/AngelikaKollin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelikaKollin
- Other: farcaster: https://farcaster.xyz/angelikakollin
Image Credits
A portrait of me is credited to Aron Urb
