Q and A with Malena Persson
Malena Persson is a Swedish born photographer, now residing in bonnie Scotland. Her most recent work 'Barra Beyond the Blue, documents life on a small Hebridean Island. Malena enjoys telling visual stories about people, often focusing on the bonds between people, their land and to each other.
NC: What work do you most enjoy doing?
Malena: I have a bit of a double nature when it comes to what photography I enjoy doing. I love working with and around people, one example being the Barra project, or working with the small charities in Leith. But I also enjoy locking myself in the studio for hours on end and completely withdrawing from the outside world. A couple of years ago I did an Arctic scene with a papier mache backdrop and tiny plastic toy polar bears. It took 5 lengthy shoots, and a lot of patience, to get that one image I was happy with.
NC: What themes do you hope to explore within your work?
Malena: Before getting in to Napier University I had a strong wish to use photography to make a change where change is needed, and to use it to educate people about things less known. I have a history in environmental activism and I really wanted to continue down that path in one way or another, and offer my skills to charities and NGOs who have a message they need to get out. So I guess the themes I hope to explore lies within humanitarian and environmental issues.
NC: How was getting to know the people of Barra?
Malena: I arrived on the island for the first time in October 2015 and someone jokingly told me I had arrived at ‘bear season’, which is when the islanders hibernate and are not seen again until springtime. I discovered there was quite a bit of truth in the joke because the island seemed deserted and it was near impossible to get people to take part in the project. But suddenly in March this year that all changed and replies on my emails started pouring in. The Barrachs turned out to be an amazing bunch of people; down to earth, friendly and very straight forward. The ultimate juxtaposition - big hearts on a small rugged island!
NC: Who were your favourite subjects on Barra to photograph?
Malena: Wow! How can I ever choose? They are all big, and very different, characters with great stories to tell. But something that stuck in my mind was tagging along Jimmy Ferguson on that first visit to Barra. He is a sheepherder, but also works as security at Barra airport. It was an early and cold, and very wet, October morning, and no other people around. Jimmy is fun and witty, and he told me a lot of interesting facts about Barra. But he also opened up in the most incredible way, and shared some of his worries, for example regarding the future of sheepherding on the island. That initial meeting gave me great insight about both Barra, and the islanders.
Some of the images below are not included in the exhibition but will be included in a larger publication about Barra that Malena is planning for the future!
You can see Barra: Beyond the Blue on Malena’s website - www.malenapersson.com
Or in person in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.