Fish Factory

Anna Lehespalu is an Estonian photographer from Tallinn. She uses photography, video, and music as a medium of expression. Her process of making art is very intuitive and connected with psychology, which helps her to research and understand the human mind. She expresses her feelings by documenting her closest surroundings and environment, which is often the landscape.

Artist statement:

” I had a big dream to visit Iceland for a very long time and for a while it did not happen. However, the wanting to go and knowing Iceland will somehow transition me got stronger and stronger. So much that I even visited Iceland in my dreams while sleeping. Then In 2020 it finally happened. I went to the South of Iceland first and started a project that I did not know what it’s going to be about. I knew that it will get more clear to me intuitively in the process. That year turned out to be an intense year for everyone. I was able to stay in Iceland for about 7 months.

The project I started has a name. It’s called: Stay home, go out. It is inspired by nature being a resource of new found freedom.

During the residency in Fish Factory, I started working more deeply with my idea while giving space and time to explore the ideas and feelings that reflect back to me through nature. The goal was to get closer to the series of images and videos for a personal exhibition. While staying in the residency I discovered many suppressed emotions and fears inside of me and I decided to observe them more closely.

Usually, I work mostly alone but this time I got very lucky and was surrounded by many beautiful souls who I was able to share this time with and they helped me in my search more than they know. The fish factory is a very magical place and there is a lot of love there. What emerged from my residency is a lot of new material. I work a lot with film photography, I am excited to be able to work further with all the material that was born there in the east fjords. I started to work on a new idea there at Stöðvarfjörður, where I put myself as a subject in nature for a series of self-portraits. As a human, I am interested in what way I am a part of nature. How I am born from the ground and become the ground. I am looking for new ways to connect through listening to my instincts and testing my own limits within nature.”

If you want to see more of her work, check out her Instagram account: www.instagram.com/annalehespalu

Thank you, Anna!