INDEX
Confronting an Unsettling Reality in Russia Through Her Work
In addition to your portraits, there are many works featuring animals. They seem to carry a sense of vitality and also a perspective on life and death. It feels as though they are connected, at a deeper level, to your more sexual works featuring human subjects.
Kristina: When I was young, I was more interested in animals than in people, and in my photography, I want to create images where there is no distance between myself and the animal. Especially in the past few years, I have become less interested in human subjects, and I feel like I am photographing humans as animals as well.
Was there a particular reason for that shift in your perspective?
Kristina: Russia is in a very difficult situation right now. Last year, I was suddenly and unjustly prosecuted because of my work, and it became a criminal case. Because of that, I left Russia in February 2026, and I do not plan to return.
In Russia, many strange laws have been introduced, and it has become impossible to freely do what I want. During the months leading up to my departure, I spent my time photographing animals kept in cages. Through the experience of going through a trial, themes like violence and confinement became very close to me. As I photographed, I kept thinking about the parallels between animals in cages and people in prison.
Through these works, what do you hope to share with viewers?
Kristina: In Russia right now, many people are looking away from reality. Through images of animals kept in cages, I want people to confront that reality. The situation in Russia is abnormal, and I want that to be recognized.
In countries outside of Russia, fewer people may feel the presence of the same kind of cage in a political or social sense. But I think there are still people who limit themselves, who feel the pressure of society, who are living inside some kind of cage. If my work can make people reflect on that, I would be glad.
Finally, I would like to ask about your aesthetic as a photographer. What draws you to press the shutter?
Kristina: In today’s world, I feel that words like “beauty” and “love” have lost some of their weight. For me, beauty is simply something that captures my interest. It can be something beautiful, or something ugly. Beauty and ugliness exist together, and I am drawn to both. Whenever I encounter something like that, I want to capture it in a photograph.
Kristina Rozhkova: unbewitched
Exhibition Information
Dates: March 20 to April 13, 2026
Venue: PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO, Shibuya PARCO 4F
Hours: 11:00 to 21:00
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Final day closes at 18:00.
Admission: 500 yen
Free for preschool children. No discounts available.
More details: https://art.parco.jp/museumtokyo/detail/?id=1869
