Poetic worlds from Fei Alexeli at Charlie + Mary

Poetic worlds from Fei Alexeli at Charlie + Mary

May 19, 2015 |  by  |  Art, Event
About the author
Dancing around the world with funky socks and bananas, has a fetish for doors and hands, thinks glitters make live for fun, dreams big and lives by the quote: playing it safe is dangerous.

Meet Fei Alexeli, a Greek photographer living in Amsterdam. At the moment she has a photography exhibition at Charlie + Mary. She’s been taking photography serious for only two years now, but already has some great works. Let’s talk!

You studied architecture, when did you become such a photography fanatic?
“I was always interested in photography. I had a few cameras when I was younger and I was experimenting using different techniques. But the moment it got serious for me was when I received a professional DSLR camera as a gift two years ago.”

Does your education influence your point of view?
“Yes, architecture influenced and continues to influence my work. Fundamental principles regarding concepts, perspective, framing, lighting and shadows that I learned about during my studies find their way in my photography.”

By applying a poetic and often metaphorical language, illusions are created to mislead the viewer and introduce him to an imaginary world.

Your pictures look really dreamy, is there some kind of world you want to create with those pictures? and is there something your trying to tell with them?
“The works appear as dreamlike images, stretching the limits of reality, inviting the viewer in a world that tries to find poetic meaning in everyday life events. A dialog between existent and nonexistent places. By applying a poetic and often metaphorical language, illusions are created to mislead the viewer and introduce him to an imaginary world.”

You’re born and raised in Greece. Does that background influences the things you make?
“I’d say the biggest influence was architecture school and the people I met there. There was a continuous inflow, sometimes overload, of information, ideas and concepts. The cities I’ve lived in and visited also shaped my aesthetics. I’m always taking photos at my trips and create visual stories through my personal observation.”

What kind of techniques do you use to make your pictures so special?
“I use different techniques, sometimes I blend and merge photos together and create layers by putting multiple exposures in single frames in order to capture the multidimensional character of a place or just to give depth and different perspective in the photos. Sometimes I make collages using my photos and photos from the internet, manipulating them in Photoshop until I create the result I have in my mind. Other times, I just take black and white photos with hard light and shadows. Every technique that I use tries to communicate and convey the idea of the project.”

Getting curious? You should.

Fei Alexeli x Charlie + Mary

When: Until June 30, 10:00-18:00
Where: Mary + Charlie, Gerard Doustraat 84
More info: Facebook event

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