Interview with an Artist: Paula Wojciechowska

Interview with an Artist is a series where we, Galerie House, spotlight artists in our world. Our goal is to celebrate their work, and inspire our community to never stop chasing their creative spirits.

Paula Wojciechowska is a Liverpool based Photographer, originally from Poland, who has been with Galerie House from the beginning. Her work breaths magic, and we are so excited to share that with you.

Leah - One of my last shoots from which one of the photos was on the cover of an American magazine. Thank you to Leah for trusting me.

Galerie House : Explain what you do in 100 words or less.

Paula : I’m a photographer, but I like to call myself a storyteller as well. My photos are the stories I fail to put into words. Because when words become unclear, you always have photos. It’s a way of feeling, of loving, of touching.

I would like to give people a chance to empathise, to consider the experience of someone else’s life. I am making photographs to understand what my life means to me, what our lives mean to us. It’s one thing to take a picture of what a person looks like, but it’s another thing to take a portrait of who they are. I love being able to show their beauty through my camera and use it as an extension of myself to tell stories. It makes me feel something. A moment that moves you enough to capture it.

Joanna - The photo of Joanna that was inspired by polish poem called ‘Portrait of a Woman’. It was displayed at the Output Gallery in Liverpool.

Galerie House : How has your professional path evolved overtime?

Paula : Photography has been in my life since I was 15 when I stole my first camera from my dad. He is passionate about all the new camera gear that gets released. However, I never thought I would have become a photographer. I’ve been exposed to creativity every step of the way by countless amounts of photos and videos. When I began to discover and learn photography, I found that it has its own language, and like any other thing, you can learn and earn from it. There is a lesson from every photoshoot you do, and every conversation with a potential client.

Photography humbles me. In less than a year I was lucky enough to have my photos displayed twice at a gallery, and also printed out in a magazine. Meanwhile, I got a proposal to help a photographer with a campaign for a worldwide brand. This was a first for me.  Sadly, there was an error in communication and the whole thing was cancelled. I was walking around upset and disappointed for three days before I started thinking about the main photographer.  They had lost an important job and perhaps it was just not meant for me. When someone compliments my photographs it really means the world,  but at the same time, I think what I could’ve done better.

Another thing is, I’m self-taught. What I have learned, I’ve learned by observing, watching, asking and following. Self-education can be wonderful and frustrating at the same time. However, you not only teach yourself a certain skill you are also teaching yourself patience and motivation.

Photography has changed my vision of the world and how I react to it. It is important to me to capture not only my memories but everyones,  as throughout time it’s all that’s left - ‘captured because one day they all will be memories again’.

My professional path is me evolving over time. It is all about figuring your story.

I shoot because I see. I shoot because if I don’t, I don’t know who will.

Galerie House : Describe your aesthetic.

Paula : Like beauty, aesthetics aren’t easy to define in simple words. As you already know, aesthetic isn’t one solid thing, yet it consists of a few simple factors.

In visual aesthetics we have colour, shape, pattern, line, texture, lighting, movement and many more. For me, they have been changing over time and I must admit, I am constantly seeking something new. A thing slightly different to the rest I have already done. But every time it must be appealing to the eye. There has to be a subject, composition, colour that gives you deeper pleasure just from looking at it.

I consider myself as ‘the minimalist’ but it is a little ‘art hoe’ inside me without fail.

(Shavana - This one was printed out in a magazine for the first time. Massive thank you to my lovely Shavana for being the most gorgeous model.)

Galerie House : If you could tell your younger self something, what would it be?

Paula : Explore and embrace it. 

Galerie House : What are you excited to do in the next 5 years?

Paula : Oh there is so many but I will share a few like: travelling, collaborating with extraordinary people and inspiring brands. I see myself growing not only as a photographer but as a person too. Can’t wait to take on all the opportunities waiting for me out there.

Galerie House:  Thank you Paula for sharing your vision with us. To see more of her work or get in touch you can find her at paulawojciechowska.com