Harassment. Concept. (2024) Photography by Tatiana Bakumenko & Nikita Kozhemiakin

Tatiana Bakumenko and Nikita Kozhemiakin are a family tandem of  artists, photographers.

They engage in conceptual and artistic photography as well as social and psychological projects, and create a variety of compositions trying to explore how the combination of color and form affects emotional well-being.

Investigating social phenomena, these artists actualize them through impersonal compositions.

Images reflecting normal and positive states invite the viewer to realize to what extent are these states represented in his or her life and to evaluate their significance.

On the other side, compositions reflecting social problems encourage the viewer to ask questions about the causes of these phenomena and ways to overcome them:

Is this problem present in my life and in the lives of people around me?

How widespread are these problems in society?

What is the reason for these conditions?

How do I and other people react to such phenomena?

What can I do to make a difference?

How can I help others around me to solve these problems?

How can I prevent similar situations from occurring in the future?

The artists believe that solving such problems on a society-wide scale is only possible when everyone answers these questions for themselves.

This approach was inspired by Maieutics, a method proposed by Socrates. It is a method of posing questions in such a way that the interlocutor himself comes to the optimal answers, which is much more significant than the solution proposed by other people. This approach forms the interlocutor's/viewer's own position and becomes the basis for concrete actions.

In their studies of the influence of color and form on the emotional state, the authors convey the idea of the possibility of harmonizing influence of works of art. Unusual compositions and color solutions presented in the photographs allow the viewer to stop the flow of thoughts and emotions and then continue from a new, more harmonious state.

In the process of creation, these artists get their insights in different ways. Nikita is inspired by an idea and then looks for various ways of how to express it. Tatiana often goes the opposite way, associating physical objects with abstract categories.

By integrating their individual associations into common works, the authors strive to achieve an optimal result.

Artists create their work in the genres of photography, collage and digital art.

Tatiana and Nikita were born and educated in Russia. Now they live part of the time in Cyprus and part of the time in Russia.

• Nationality: RUSSIA
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Russian Contemporary Artists