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My Journey With Blindness
Marco Tapia Saavedra
“If the act of photography emerges from the dark intimacy of thoughts, why does the idea of a blind photographer appear to be a paradox?” - Marco Tapia Saavedra
In his project MY JOURNEY WITH BLINDNESS Marco Tapia Saavedra is dealing with different stages of sight loss. The series depicts Saavedra's twenty years of living with blindness and connects his process of experiencing it. From the imagery of childhood memories and interpretation of early life events connected to his vision to the change in his visual perception and the ways, he interacts with reality.
Marco Tapia Saavedra
Marco was born in Loreto, Peru in 1991. It took him a couple of years before discovering photography. He studied for three years in El Centro de la Imagen in Lima. During this time, he learned the skills for studio and analog photography focusing his talent on still life. After working for more than three years in Peru with beauty and luxury brands, he decided it was time to expand his horizons.
He moved to Germany in 2018 to pursue his bachelor's degree. While studying at the UE, he learned to portray people and found a new passion for portraiture. Marco decided also to focus on personal projects, often by mixing his detailed eye for still life with fine art. He had discovered a new way to improve his mental health, and it was through photography.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
Somewhere I feel happy to be in.
What is a good design for you?
Not too busy. Thoroughly structured. Clean.
What was the most challenging experience during your studies?
The pandemic and the first lockdowns, for sure. Unwanted, unexpected. It made my mental health struggle so much, I cannot even count how many times I have felt burnout or gone through a meltdown.
Who or what inspires you?
The constant research of my roots.
How do you approach a new project?
I always try to look for some kind of connection with projects. It does not have to be a deep or meaningful one, but enough that it bonds you with your project so that you can work on it and not feel it as a burden. I write and take notes sometimes. Pretty often I go for walks around or outside the city with my camera when I am working on a new project.
What advice would you give to students who just started studying in your programme?
Know your worth.
Do not give up when things look bad.
Take a break if you need to.
Always be kind (because people are in need of kindness now more than ever).
Have you changed during your studies? How?
Definitely yes. Life is a roller coaster when you decide to start from scratch in a foreign country. I have experienced so many unexpected good things and I have also run into very unfortunate events and people. I am trying to find something positive from every experience I now face.
Why did you choose to study in your programme?
I felt inspired by some of the students' stories at some point and I said "maybe that could be me someday".
What are you not going to miss in your studies?
Tricky question. There is not much I am not gonna miss. Classes are always a safe space to show your work. Actually, I think I will miss that: showing new work, new photos, and getting feedback. I will miss printing my photos for classes too.
How are you going to celebrate your graduation?
I want to fly back home.
