ANJA NIEMI
An insight into the production of Anja Niemi’s The Rider Vol 1. by Massimo Leardini.
Anja Niemi I White Horse and the Lake, 2021 I Inkjet on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta paper I Special edition frame with smaller frame inside : 75 x 100 cm / inset 56 x 42 cm I Edition of #1/3 + 1 AP
ANJA NIEMI
We are thrilled to announce our representation of Norwegian artist Anja Niemi. In collaboration with Ravenstijn Gallery in The Netherlands, we are excited to bring Niemi's compelling works to the Scandinavian audience.
BIO
Anja Niemi (b. 1976) is a Norwegian visual artist and photographer known for her distinctive photographs that blur the boundaries between reality and fiction. Her work invites viewers to explore themes of identity, vulnerability, and the beauty of imperfection, gaining recognition for its cinematic quality and narrative depth.
Niemi’s introspective creative process is mirrored in the relationship between her characters and their environments. Often concealing facial details, her photographs encourage a universal dialogue on self-perception, allowing viewers to project their identities onto her characters. Her narrative style, focuses on the body and movement rather than facial expression.
Educated at the London College of Printing and Parsons School of Design in New York, Niemi’s work has been exhibited globally in museums, galleries and at art fairs such as Paris Photo and Photo London. Her monographs include Short Stories (2016), The Woman Who Never Existed (2017), She Could Have Been A Cowboy (2018), and In Character (2019). Recent museum exhibitions include Fotografiska Stockholm and Tallinn, MAAT in Lisbon, and Des Moines Art Center. Niemi’s work is represented in many prominent Norwegian and international corporate and private collections.
Anja Niemi I The Show Jumper and The Horseless Rider 2021 I Inkjet on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta paper I Special edition frame with smaller frame inside: 112 x 150 cm / inset 45 x 60 cm I Edition #1/3 + 1 AP
"I started creating my character ‘The Rider’ alongside my personal quest to be with horses again. I loosely based her story on my own, intending to successfully get back in the saddle and overcome traumas from the past. I wanted the story to be encouraging, and it still is in many ways, but not like I first intended. During my production, I realised my fictional character’s story was all wrong; I had made it too easy for her to succeed. I also started to question what I originally thought would make her successful. Personally, I was facing setbacks and disappointments despite all my efforts and endless determination. But something else was happening that I had not anticipated, something that could change everything. It was going to be a long journey, and I wanted to acknowledge that, so I left my story at the beginning and named it Vol. 1."
- Anja Niemi
Anja Niemi I Involuntary Disembarkation, 2021
Inkjet on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta paper
70 x 52,5 cm / framed 72 x 55 cm
Edition #2/12 + 2 AP
The Rider Vol. 1 ( 2021 ) is an ideological progression from Anja Niemi's previous series, The Blow (2019), in which a female boxer has the lead role. The Blow is an allegory for struggle and the countless conflicts we, as humans, wrestle with. As with all of Niemi’s work, the narratives she constructs and then performs act as allegorical amplifiers to the conversations that lie beneath. In The Rider Vol. 1, Niemi recreates her character's struggle in the form of a rider and her horse. Trust and the will to understand each other are essential to their mutual bond. A bond that will require perseverance and the suspension of fear for both of them. In one image a woman stands turned away from us, dressed in classic black dressage pants - hair gently gathered under her helmet by a hairnet. Torso slightly arched, shoulders together. Her leather riding boots are securely grounded beneath her, preparing to confront the dark void ahead. In another, a jodhpur trapped in a stirrup, with its leather strap tangled and hanging in thin air, hints to events of the past. Reminding us of the traumas that haunt us. The Rider is about the freedom found in progress and the ability to displace fear, even if it’s temporary.
Anja Niemi Meadow at Dusk, 2021 I Inkjet on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta paper I 112 x 150 cm / framed 115 x 153 cm I Edition #4/12 + 2 AP
"When creating ‘The Rider’, I had to change almost everything about the way I worked. Horses are wilful and fast, and I wanted to photograph them on their terms without being dominating or forceful. I could no longer be as repetitive and meticulous as I usually am, but what I got in return was really rewarding. I ended up spending my summer in the meadow, inviting the horses to roam freely in and out of my frame. I introduced them slowly to the black and white fabric I hung between the trees, inviting them to join me but letting them go when needed. Towards the end of the summer, one of the horses wilfully stands on the white fabric, resting his head on my shoulder. I can feel his weight as if he is almost asleep. I remember thinking what a huge honour it was that he trusted me so much and realized how far we had come."
- Anja Niemi
Anja Niemi I
A Moment of Trust, 2021
Inkjet on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta paper
100 x 75 cm / framed 102 x 77 cm
Edition #4/12 + 2 AP
Installation shots and details from The Rider Vol 1 exhibition at Ravenstijn Gallery in Amsterdam.