Echoes of Her
On the 5th of November, Echoes of Her by London-based Ukrainian fashion and editorial photographer Victoria Storozhenko (b. 1995) opened, with a private view at 19 Beak Street, Soho. The exhibition was presented in an intimate, homely setting, showcasing a series of photographs in a warm environment.
Storozhenko was deeply influenced by people and the human emotions—particularly sadness—in her works, and this collection is tied to Roman mythology characters, Echo and Narcissus, as told in poet Ovid’s Metamorphosis. This exhibition considers how women are often remembered through parts of their stories, just like the heroine Echo.
“I didn’t have the happiest childhood back in Ukraine,” Storozhenko mentioned, “and I believe you can see it in my work—the emotions.”
Born in Kyiv, the artist had considered twice to quit photography, especially after the unfortunate war had begun in Ukraine. When asked about the key to her success, Storozhenko answered with one word: discipline. True to her word, many guests used ‘disciplined’ to describe the artist. It took her years to build her practice, and today, her return to photography also marks her first solo exhibition, a symbol of her persistence through ongoing upheavals.
Echoes of Her was curated through Ansaldo, a London-based curatorial consultancy and artist agency founded by Joséphine May Bailey, after the artist reached out a couple of months prior. When Storozhenko approached Ansaldo, Bailey created the exhibition from the ground up, developing its framework through studio visits and conversations with the artist, shaping the selection, the scale of each print, the hang and the lighting.
“Every curator arrives with a vision for how a show should feel,” Bailey said. “What made this so special was how closely Victoria and I worked together; she's open, thoughtful and deeply committed, and the show is the result of that dialogue.”
Ansaldo is an international curatorial consultancy and artist agency focused on artist advocacy and ecosystem-led programming. Bailey hears from artists every week, and November alone has seen several exhibitions open back to back. She is selective about the projects she takes on.
“I want to give each artist my full attention if I decide to work with them,” she explains. “It isn't fair to the artist otherwise, and the right collaboration depends on a shared vision for the work.”
Rather than presenting a clear narrative, Storozhenko leaves viewers questioning the stories behind each frame, inviting them to search for something more. Perhaps it’s clarity? Maybe a backstory? Or simply another glimpse into her world? Yet that is precisely the beauty of Echoes of Her: the feeling of being left with something unfinished, something that lingers even after looking away.
For those wanting to explore more of her work, you can find Victoria Storozhenko on Instagram at @/victoriastorozhenko.
Edited by Emily Bunder, London Editor
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