Blank Space is pleased to present Tekin: A Step Into The Unknown, a collaborative photography exhibition of creative director Samantha Angelo, and photographer Keziban Barry. The exhibition embodies the journey of two women in Iceland whose creative vision is realized through elements of landscape and fashion photography. The result is an uncanny yet charming visual narrative that draws the viewer to take a step into the unknown. The exhibition will continue through March 26.

Samantha and Keziban met in New York City in 2015 as creative collaborators and good friends. A temporary escape from the mundane routine of bustling Manhattan, they set out to Iceland to define the essence and power of nature, and to capture this sublimity through the eyes of a lone woman in relation to the vast landscape. Tekin, which means “taken” in Icelandic, is a visual quest of a woman that allows herself to be taken by Iceland’s remote, stark and expansive terrain. Through “guerilla editorial”, a concept they envisioned to allow freedom of movement, they encouraged the landscape to ultimately inspire and shape the creative direction of the work.

With a small production team of four and, carefully orchestrated equipment, Samantha and Keziban challenged Iceland’s unpredictable climate and rugged terrains to fully capture the energy and movement offered by the natural environment. Travelling along the southern coast of the country in a Land Rover, they turned to professional yet versatile means— two digital single-lens reflex cameras, a Phantom Drone, GoPro, five different lenses, and ProFoto lighting. The photographs are printed with vibrachrome and metallic print, which most closely reflect the wondrous Icelandic lights, and worked with international fashion designers to enhance the visual impact of each piece— Lie Sangbong, Sally Lapointe, Reem Acra and Monique Lluillier of New York; Mugler, Paris; Ermanno Scervino, Milan; and Moon Lee Artwear, London. Guided by the conditions of the ever-changing climate, the impromptu conception of the photographic sketch proved the creative process to be a constant compromise between artist and nature.

Samantha and Keziban integrate artistic perspectives from their professional field. Samantha Angelo, photographed as the subject while providing styling and creative direction for each piece, exhibits expressive pose and remarkable stamina under harsh conditions, drawing on her musical background and military career. Creating looks which enhance and express Iceland’s diverse natural landscapes, using a mix of well planned and improvisational styling to convey the poignancy of the narrative while commanding the vision with a creative eye as founder of the fashion/art platform, The Eye Travels. Keziban Barry assimilates professional photographic technique from her background in cinematography and experience as photo editor for major publications to create the perfect mise en scène that sets the tone of each photograph. She trained under Magnum photographer Alex Majoli, and is currently a mentee of Nick Knight.