SELF PORTRAITS AS A CREATIVE PROCESS (PART I & II)
ALINA MINIEIEVA
Who watches when I look at myself?
A two-part workshop on the self-portrait: first, we unpack the gaze, shaped by art history, culture, and social media, then participants create their own self-portraits, which we edit and discuss together.
This two-part workshop explores the self-portrait as a way to question the gaze, engage with the body, and shape a photograph from one’s own perception.
In the first session, we look at self-portraiture through art history, advertising, and social media, asking: who is watching when I look at myself? We’ll discuss how the gaze becomes part of us, and how it shapes the way we see our own bodies, faces, and presence. Through artists like Frida Kahlo, Francesca Woodman, and Ana Mendieta, we’ll discover how differently a self-portrait can be approached: symbolic, documentary, intimate, or without the body at all. It doesn’t have to answer “who am I?” directly. It can simply make that question more honest.
After the lecture, participants create their own self-portrait, either in the studio with available lighting and equipment, or independently at home or outdoors. Between sessions, participants select and edit their material. In the second meeting, we review the work together and discuss how cropping, colour, and sequencing shift the meaning of a self-portrait.
The aim is not a perfect photograph, but to use the camera as a tool for observation, experimentation, and honest visibility.
The workshop will take place with at least 2 binding registrations.
Dates: Thursday, 03.12.2026 & Saturday, 05.12.2026
Time: 16:00 – 20:00 & 11:00 – 13:00
Fee: €180 (for both days)
Participants: Up to 8 (minimum 2 registrations required)
