Karolina Stus: Fine Art & Expressive Photography

My name is Karolina. I’m an independent fine art and portrait photographer, shooting personal, fashion and commercial portraits. I’m an enthusiastic and life-loving Polish woman, living in Kāpiti, New Zealand. Growing up without many material things in a country fighting communism, we created memories that have warmed me over the years.

I believe these experiences built the foundations for my soul, and the way I look at the world today.

My passion for photography has evolved since my gorgeous family arrived in New Zealand in 2012. It soon became a creative outlet, a way for me to tell stories. When we arrived here, my older son was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. He understands the world more easily through images, as words and language are something abstract to him – so we communicated using visual images. Since then I’ve totally fallen in love with photography. My fine art editorial approach creates timeless, luminous and cinematic images. My goal as a portrait photographer is to look past the face we present, to capture something deeper. Sometimes this results in a bright, eye-catching image, and sometimes a more poetic study of the face. I’m in love with everything that is old, odd, or different; I find these things beautiful. I transform these old things and give them new life. My house is full of these pieces. I connect strongly with this quote about the Japanese art of Kintsugi:

“When the Japanese repair broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something has suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful.”

During my talk, I will tell you about my journey to find my style. Why I decided to do something different and use my hands instead of photoshop. I will bring my pieces and explain how I made some of them.

You can check out Karolina’s incredible work here: https://karolinastus.pro/

In the event that Level 2 is extended this event will go ahead with social distancing measures in place, QR codes/visitor register, and other safety procedures.