Evgenia Arbugaeva: Arctic Stories at The Photographers’ Gallery, London

Print Sales Gallery at The Photographers’ Gallery, London, presents Arctic Stories, the first UK solo exhibition by award winning photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva, opening 5 November. Comprising two bodies of work, Weather Man (2014) and Tiksi (2012), the exhibition reflects Arbugaeva’s romantic fascination and childhood nostalgia for the Arctic.

Arbugaeva’s images combine documentary and narrative photography styles, portraying personal stories in ‘magical realist’ compositions seeped in fairy tales, myths and fables. Through her work, Arbugaeva aims to preserve what is being eroded or lost in the advance of modern technology and societal changes. Her imaginative mise-en-scene and the childlike quality of her subjects echo the innocence and idealism of a time she views as disappearing.

Weather Man depicts the solitary life of Vyacheslav Korotki, a 63 year old meteorologist who lives in Khodovarikha – a remote arctic outpost in northern Russia. A chance encounter with Korotki led Arbugaeva to return to his station and document his day-to-day life: the extreme conditions of his surroundings and isolation of his existence.