Margarita Dudko is a Russian photographer whose work shifts between conceptual editorials and black-and-white fine art photography.
Inspired by natural, earthy elements and the cold environment she lives in, the artist designs intricate, complex sceneries to describe interhuman relationships, emotions of freedom, and a primal connection with nature, while simultaneously relying on symbolism and subliminal messages sprinkled throughout her photography.
Dudko creates unconventional, often elaborate photoshoots, drawing inspiration from folklore and cosmopolitan flair alike. “With every photograph, I reveal inner beauty and new facets of personality,” she says. It is definitely true for the featured photographs. Masked figures remain charismatic and dynamic, unrestricted and hauntingly beautiful.
In the series presented here, Dudko combines elements of Slavic paganism, mysticism, and astrological symbolism to create an organic, earth-rooted, and ritualistic short story about fitting in. She uses masks as a central piece. In combination with earth tones, sunlight, moody shadows, and unexpected dynamic elements like hay and dust, she aims to highlight that our daily reality is the mask, and true meaning is only revealed once that mask is removed.
This collection of images makes the viewers feel as if they stepped right in the middle of a pagan fairytale that is slightly too terrifying to be told to children. The symbolic surrealism, millennial nostalgia, and the deep, organic connection to nature are what infuse Dudko’s series and elevate it in the portrait genre. It lures us in, promising a fantastic story of unrestricted creativity and child-like wonder.
Read our “Roots” issue in full
The new theme, born as usual from what the submitted works held in common, is “ROOTS.” Within its pages, we present the artworks, creativity, and inspiration of 60 visual artists and writers from 21 countries around the world. Their diverse voices come together around a shared exploration of the return to where one belongs, the invisible threads of tradition that shape identity, and the ongoing reconnection with nature, others, and oneself.
We’re a team of writers using our craft to spotlight art in its most honest form. RAWGUE. started as a bi-monthly editorial experiment where each issue’s theme is dictated by the submitted work, thus removing editorial bias from the equation and preserving a more raw approach. We focus on all forms of poetry: written, photographed, painted, drawn, and filmed.
