Evgenia Arbugaeva is the 2015 Young Photographer recipient. Evgenia Arbugaeva was born in 1985 in the town of Tiksi, located in the Russian Arctic. She is a 2009 graduate of ICP’s Documentary Photography and Photojournalism program and since then has been working as a freelance photographer. In her personal work, she often looks to her homeland—the Arctic, discovering and capturing the remote worlds and people who inhabit them.
Arbugaeva was a recipient of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and the Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund Grant, and was selected as one of the PDN 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch. Her work has been exhibited internationally and appeared in such publications as The New Yorker, Le Monde, and National Geographic, among others.
How long have you been a photographer?
6 years.
What did you study in school?
I studied management in University in Moscow and in 2009 I graduated from ICP Documentary and Photojournalism program.
What do you think made you turn to photography?
Growing up I always wanted to be a painter, but when I discovered photography I fell in love with the medium immediately.
How did the Weather Man story come about?
In 2013 I went on a two month long journey on board of an icebreaker ship, which delivers supplies to hard-to-reach Arctic meteorological stations. One day our ship stopped at Hodovarikha station and I met Slava – the chief of the station. I was mesmerized by him and the atmosphere of the place. In the next year I came back to Slava’ s station two more times.
How do you perceive and use new technologies and social media in your work, if at all?
I’m not very active in social media.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working in Tanzania with a group of anthropologists. It’s a new experience for me, very interesting. I am curious about their work methods and the process of building the story.
A few words about ICP and its place in the world of photography?
For me ICP will forever be the most special place where I discovered the world of photography.
http://www.icp.org/infinity-awards
http://www.evgeniaarbugaeva.com
