While making every single shot for my “A twisted story” I was reflecting on my feelings and state during the 2020 crisis. It’s a personal story that became an investigation and a therapy at the same time.
Things got twisted. From the metal wire that was hanging in front of my eyes to thoughts in my head. I took my camera, loaded black-and-white film, and started looking for myself in places where I felt like I was no longer present for a while. Since then, with the help of photography, I have been trying to explore the changes in my state and how my husband and I have been affected by being in the same space and quarantine restrictions 24/7. Is this the source of the problems, or maybe it’s just a chance to identify them? Photography became my therapy. It turned out like a detective story, it’s unclear what happened and who is to blame, everything is twisted. Throughout this series, I try to unravel this tangle of my personal and our shared feelings.
Toma Magdyk was born in Ukraine in 1992. While getting her bachelor degree in social work she was part of the university’s photoclub. She won a grant for her first exhibition about people with interesting professions. In the beginning she mostly took pictures of people, it was a way of getting to know people better, as well as helping them to feel their uniqueness.
She lived in different cities like Kyiv and Lviv and also for a few months in the USA, and always enjoyed observing streets and their life in a nutshell. Traditions and routines of the locals are the best reflection of culture and alway find a way to amaze her. She spends a lot of time around nature, meditate and discover surroundings with her camera.
She could never stop wondering why things are the way they are, and simply setting these questions aside and going on with her life is of no option to her. Art and philosophy help her find the answer. Taking self portraits helps a lot with reflection and getting to know her. Her camera is like a third eye that opens the most unpredictable places on earth and in her soul.
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