Anna-Tia Buss – Pomegranates Grow in Winter

Description

Pomegranates Grow in Winter deals with the life circumstances of young women in Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, where the photographer Anna-Tia Buss spent part of her childhood. Twenty years later, she wanted to know what had become of the girls she grew up with. In particular, she aimed to find out about the life situations, dreams, and realities of young women in the Kyrgyz post-Soviet society. In collaboration with the subjects, she created portraits to make their experiences and everyday lives visible.

As in many parts of the world, gender inequality is still deeply rooted in society there. The role of women varies depending on family background and education, but they are mostly expected to fulfill the role of the « perfect » daughter-in-law, wife, and mother.

During her travels to Kyrgyzstan, the photographer encouraged the subjects to share their daily life through photos via WhatsApp with her. With these snapshots, the women created collages found in the middle of the book. These image compositions create an alternative visual narrative pattern that stands out from the photographs by Anna-Tia Buss.

Through the combination of various interviews and a participatory approach, the book documents the diversity of individual characters and personalities of Kyrgyz women, shaped by their life circumstances and their pursuit of independence and recognition.

The author: Anna-Tia Buss (*1993) is an independent Swiss photographer.

In her artistic practice, she questions the feeling of belonging, identity, and the experience of being a woman in our society. She follows a collaborative approach and invites participants to be involved in the creation of the works.