KiNO presents photographic projects by teenagers and young adults who took part in the free analogue portrait photography course “Breathing Portrait” in Zaporizhzhia.
The course invited participants to approach portraiture as a way of building a relationship with another person. Working with analogue cameras, they learned to slow down, observe closely, listen, establish trust, and reveal character through gestures, surroundings, personal objects, and everyday routines.
Each participant chose one person or, in one case, themselves, and developed an individual photographic series. Together, these projects explore the space between a person’s visible image and inner life: the quiet movements that often go unnoticed, family histories carried by objects, the contrast between public confidence and private doubt, and emotional experiences that can be difficult to express directly.
At the end of the course, the participants presented their projects in a public exhibition in Orbita Palace of Culture. Exhibitions are an important part of KiNO’s educational process, giving young photographers the opportunity to present their work, speak about their ideas, and experience the audience’s response.
An Archive of Her Movements by Oleksandra Trius
A portrait of the photographer’s dance coach, Lika, told through quiet everyday gestures such as hugs, smiles, turning the pages of a book, and unhurried walks. These details reveal a person beyond dance and performance.
Touch by Veronika Pryss
A portrait of a seamstress whose love for her craft is revealed through her hands, the details of her work, and the careful rhythm of the creative process.
Between the Everyday and the Real by Diana Hulia
An observation of an artist in her everyday life, without posing or performance. The project finds sincerity and beauty in the ordinary moments that make up a day.
In Search of Colour by Artem Bezuhlyi
A black-and-white series that constructs a complex inner portrait through fragments, changing emotional states, and details that invite viewers to assemble the story for themselves.
Dissonance by Anna Fil
A portrait of a musician exploring the distance between his energetic, easy-going public image and an inner world shaped by doubt, tension, and high expectations of himself.
Garage-Vintage by Olena Bielka
A project about the photographer’s father and his world of antiques and vintage objects. Here, slowing down becomes a shared experience, and every found object carries traces of another person’s life.
Hometown by Uliana Matich
A walk through Zaporizhzhia led by a protagonist who becomes both an observer and a reflection of shared experience. The project draws attention to the city’s smallest details and the contrasts of the present day.
Zero Kilometer by Denis Pushkin
A self-portrait reflecting the photographer’s emotional numbness after a nearby Shahed drone strike during a journey with children. The project explores the distance between remaining a calm and reliable adult and what he was experiencing inside.
The course was organised by KiNO with the support of Svitlo School, the Zaporizhzhia Regional Youth Centre, and the Centre for Cultural Services.
The course was led by Elena Tita and Serhii Andriienko.
KiNO is a programme of free photography and filmmaking workshops for teenagers and young adults, delivered online and offline across Ukraine and other European countries.
