I use photography and video as documentary forms to explore the contact between the body and its environment. I work with situations in which this connection becomes unstable, revealing states of vulnerability, tension, and adaptation.
The basis of my practice is the recording of real situations in which the body and society exist under the influence of external conditions. Through fragmentation and minimal interventions—such as a line or a color—I shift the perception of the image, transforming it from a document into a space of awareness.
My projects take shape as sequential investigations, where photography, video, and mixed media function as a single field that allows me to explore the boundaries of perception and presence. The projects are presented in the section Portfolio.
Biography
Valentina Averyanova (b. 1981) is an artist working with photography, video, and mixed media. She lives and works in Belgorod.
Her practice explores tension, social trauma, abandonment, and adaptation in conditions of instability and uncertainty. She addresses social issues and problems, working with open and honest images rooted in reality.
Her works have been exhibited in Russia and across Europe, including the International Photography Exhibition (Glasgow) and the Biennale of Black and White Photography (St. Petersburg). In 2026, she became a laureate of the Russian Photo Awards.
Education:
2026 – Rodchenko Moscow School of Photography and Multimedia, mentoring by Olga Matveeva – in progress;
2025 – MVA Institute of Visual Artists – contextual research;
2025 – Art development with tutors – Art photography and contemporary art
Awards:
2026 – Russian Photo Awards – winner
Exhibitions:
Solo exhibitions:
2025 – Solo exhibition at the “October” Contemporary Art Gallery, Belgorod
Group exhibitions:
2026 – International Photography Exhibition – Women in Photography, Glasgow;
2026 – Biennale of Black and White Photography, Saint Petersburg;
2026 – Negative Spaces, Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan;
2026 – RUSSIAN PHOTO EXPO, Moscow;
2025 – Personal project within the exhibition “Light and Shadow”, Saint Petersburg;
2025 – Art Bureau, Saint Petersburg;
2025 – ARSmarket, Saint Petersburg;
2025 – “Drawing with Light”, Moscow;
2025 – “Cities and People”, Moscow;
2025 – Top 50 “Artcoco”, Novosibirsk;
2025 – Russian Photo Awards – finalist, Moscow
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