PAST LIVES

LENA SIOPI

// Lena was born and still lives in Thessaloniki, Greece. After studying photography for two years and expanding her knowledge through art, she developed her own photographic journey, which she continues to expand and experiment with. We share one of her project´s of photo art entitled “Past Lives”.

Lena has collaborated with a number of photographers and organised many exhibitions. She is a member of the Photographic Center of Thessaloniki and has presented her work at six solo and more than 20 group photography exhibitions.

“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.”

Man Ray

What draws you to art?

“In art I have always been attracted by the freedom of creation and the expression of emotions of every artist. I approach art through my own way of expression, which is photography, where the past years are not the typical classic photography but I always want to go a little further. I attend exhibitions and read books to expand my inner artistic world.“

What do you like best about this photographic project and what attracts you to abandoned places?

“The atmosphere of a mood on a trip to the past. From the moment I started photographing actively, I was attracted to abandoned places for photography, sometimes with great danger. The energy, the mystery of these places, the people and the souls that passed through there… it is for me the biggest challenge to be able to capture them photographically.“

When she discovered an album with old photographs of her family at her grandmother’s house, the idea was born for Lena´s project. It is still work in progress. With the technique of double exposure, she combines the family photos with photos of the abandoned places that she loves to capture, with an editing programme. All the photos and edits are hers. ‘Past Lives” is a very personal project with a sense of place and history.

For about two years, apart from past lives, Lena has also been working on 3-4 other projects, such as “soul exploring”, “escape”, “the raven”, and “doles games”. You can explore Lena´s art photography projects on her website (link below).

Some images may be cropped for layout. Click on the photos to see a larger version.