Bored Panda got in touch with Dita Pepe to ask a couple of questions regarding this unique project. First, we wanted the photographer to tell us about the inspiration behind starting the Self-Portraits series in 1999. Pepe shared with us: “There were many formal inspirations, but my inner motivation was to find a way for myself to live a better life than the one I lived at home. I was looking for role models for myself, and I was physically trying out different ways. All the encounters gave me something to think about. Initially using acquaintances and later approaching strangers as subjects must have been an interesting shift.”
Next, we were wondering if Dita could tell us more about the challenges and rewards she encountered while working with strangers, and how this contributed to the evolution of the project. The photographer told us: “Now I've just finished my biggest job to date. The result is the book Borders of Love and the theoretical part deals with the topic of trauma as a motivation for creation. Photography as therapy. It concerns my experience of photographic work and its therapeutic potential. It was a big challenge for me because I was very open in the book. I invited a number of interesting people to collaborate on the book who, in terms of their focus or life experience, brought a new perspective for me to look at forms of love. I worked on the book for five years, and I had the support of my doctoral studies at the University of Technology in Zlín.
Pepe shared with us more details about the content of her newest book, and some difficult situations she put her heart into: “I wanted to see the brain, the place designed for the perception of feelings, emotions, and love. I believed that knowledge alone would help me better express and feel love. I spent a month in the pathology department, saw autopsies, and experienced incredible feelings. It was too much, all the people I had to win over to open the door to their world.”
Pepe’s work explores the relativity of life events and the idea of how easily one's circumstances could have been different. Asked how this perspective shift impacted Dita’s artistic approach and her understanding of the subjects she portrayed, the photographer said: “It's important for me to do things that move me as a person. I'm planning to take some time off from photography, to focus on exhibiting for the book Boundaries of Love and also to focus on finding funding for the second edition of Boundaries of Love.”
Lastly, we wanted to know if the photographer reflects on the journey from when she started the series to where she is today. We were curious what have been some of the most profound lessons Dita learned about herself, human connections, and the power of visual storytelling. We found out that: “The biggest thing for me was discovering that I can feel closeness with a stranger as well as with someone close to me that I love. A feeling of understanding, acceptance, and comprehension. We don't always have to speak the same language live in the same culture and have a shared past or future. It has brought me many pleasant feelings and experiences. I have met a number of inspiring people and many of them have become friends.”
