Bukowskis in cooperation with photographer Frida Vega Salomonsson

Frida Vega Salomonsson, a young and emerging Stockholm-based photographer and one of the women behind Nuda, a website, gallery space, and annual print magazine encompassing photo, design, fashion, art and thoughts about life that she cofounded with Nora Hagdahl, Annie Jensen, Minda Jalling, and Tea Falk. Being a self-taught photographer, with her analogue and documentary photography highlighting honestness and an approach and attitude which is democratic in every sense of the word, she has created a space for women to pursue what really matters to them. Always letting them be in charge of how they are presented and represented. Frida Vega curated her favourite pieces from Bukowskis upcoming auction Contemporary Art & Design and discussed what she’s doing, where she started and what’s inspiring her.

When did you start taking photographs?
I began photographing in junior high. I was into rabbit show jumping and all the cool girls had DSLR cameras, taking snaps of their rabbits. This was also the time when everyone started sharing photos from their daily lives on social media. Laying my hands on my dad’s camera and bringing it with me everywhere, I started doing the same, capturing my friends and our whereabouts. This is where I come from and still like the most, documentary photography and portraits.

What are you inspired by in your photography?
I’ve never looked at other photographer’s work. Maybe I have never thought of myself as a photographer either. Frankly, I am mainly into colour and form and photography is a tool to explore that world. I am often inspired by vague stuff such as a specific colour tone, a structure, the lighting, the ambiance or a facial expression. This is the reason why I love to collect things, books etc. There is definitely warning signs of a hoarder. Since I am working on freelance basis and still insist on publishing in print in 2019, my budget is always limited. My seven-year old collection of small, funky and weird objects such as glass and stoneware from second hand is amazing though and never fails to inspire me, haha!

Why is it that you are mainly into analogue photography?
The process, the result, everything is different compared with digital photography. I photograph documentary and in natural lighting. I think it is more honest and direct to have a film camera in your pocket. It forces you to get to know your camera, composing the picture in the viewfinder and trust your gut, not snapping hundreds of pictures, getting caught up on the small details.

The technology used to take a photo also dates the photo, it tells you whether it is taken by an old flip phone with 4 meg, a semi-new iPhone or an expensive system camera. It is the information that deciphers if the pictures is taken 2000, 2010 or 2019. A picture taken with film, with its’ lightning and graininess, does not reveal the pictures inheritance and its origin in the same way. I think that is beautiful, especially in times when we are only focusing on the latest and newest things.

Tell us about your thoughts and ideas when curating Bukowskis upcoming auction Contemporary Art & Design.
It’s been a dream come true to discover and picking at all the gems at Bukowskis. I have so many personal favourites, especially among the photographers. To pair and style objects with each other is different from just picking out pieces that you like though. I have killed my darlings, trying to pair objects that are flirting with each other in terms of colour and form.

You also have a magazine, Nuda, in book format, what does it entail?
Nuda is a publication encompassing photo, design, fashion, art and “what it means to be human”. It is a mixture of picture series, interviews, texts and portraits. Our latest book Uncategorised were released last autumn and the next book, Mother will hit shelves early autumn 2019. Uncategorized features e.g. Carl-Michael von Hausswolff, Leif Elggren, Tone Schunnesson, Santiago Mostyn, Lap-See Lam, Curtis Talwst Santiago, Etage Projects and Carolina Gynning. Nuda is for sale at e.g. PaperCut, Konst-ig, Bonniers Malmö Konsthall, Soda Books in Berlin and magCulture in London.

Photographer Frida Vega
Web pages: www.fridavega.com, www.nudapaper.com
Instagram: @fridavega @nudapaper

Frida Vega’s personal favourites from this spring’s upcoming auction Contemproary Art & Design: