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Conceptual Series

Mikheil Kurdadze

Photographer

Mikheil Kurdadze

Let me call it anhedonia

I’ve realized that self-reflection doesn’t always need to be a lonely, internalized process.
While it is something intimate to strive to understand myself better, I have found that I can see pieces of myself all around me.
They are in my friends and my environment, in the unusual and the everyday. I’ve been able to reconcile my thoughts about my own identity with the things which surround me.
As an anhedonia sufferer since 2016, pleasure has often eluded me and barriers have risen in my way. My friends have played a key part in the process of overcoming these obstacles. The perspectives I capture remind me of the new perspectives I’ve gained from those close to me.
I’ve taken images that show intimacy and objectivity—a reflection of the lens through which I’ve looked critically at myself and eventually made peace with who I am.
This series is an exploration of the influences in my life and the person they have made me.
It’s a journey I’m still on, and one I’m excited to continue.

Mikheil Kurdadze

Mikheil Kurdadze is an emerging photographer who hails from Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi. His interest in photography was piqued at age eight, in large part thanks to his older sister, who took a documentary photography course during private school. Mikheil would often accompany his sister while she gathered material for her course project. As he matured, Mikheil's interest evolved into a profound dedication to conceptual photography. He is committed to using his photography as a medium to express his feelings and emotions. Mikheil's work aims to capture the essence of his inner world, offering a unique perspective through his lens. Despite being a newcomer to Georgia's photography scene, Mikheil won a visual storytelling competition hosted by Radio Liberty, and his photos have been featured on numerous online platforms. In 2022, Mikheil was honored with the Kolga special prize for his conceptual series.