Olga Urbanek is self-taught, living and working in Iceland. Her exploratory series, When Nobody鈥檚 Watching,聽questions聽the idea of 鈥渂lending in鈥 to new environments, fitting seamlessly into cultures or standing out on the edges.
Taken in Iran, the images are highly textural, weaving billowing clothes into barren, stone-laden landscapes. Broken bricks and open, neutral sands stretch out from the figures as they seem to search for a sense of self.
The artist notes: 鈥淐an we blend into a new landscape by adapting to a local code of conduct? We are somewhat like animals, becoming accustomed to territories.鈥 Urbanek is a finalist in the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards in the Portraiture Category.
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Image from When Nobody’s Watching. Courtesy of Olga Urbanek.
