Born as Rumyana Petrova from the small town of Montana in Northwestern Bulgaria, I take the artistic alias Anq Hariz to represent my journey in photography storytelling.
When I am not with my camera, I use my Economy degree to be a Business analyst with a focus on Sustainability and integration of Environmental, Social and Governmental practices.
My previous experience is also connected to human rights and climate change and all this naturally finds its way into photography.
Since childhood, I have been guided by the inextricable connection between nature and humankind, torn by man’s tendency to constantly try to distinguish those two fractions. Тhis separation and chaotic wandering make it impossible for our beings to find balance.
At the beginning of 2022, the search for this Balance took me to BECA Before Creating Academy, the first private photography academy in Bulgaria, where I completed the Documentary Profile and later – the Master class led by Dimitri Stefanov.
In the last 2 years, I have focused more on the development as a visual storyteller. The training at BECA provided a strong foundation and exceptional guidance in forming an artistic awareness and discovering my photographic voice.
During the Documentary course, I developed two bodies of works: Damnatio memoriae and Lock-Unlock.
The master class provided an opportunity to interact with well-known photographers from the European photography scene who mentored and guided my work on a variety of topics. Among these events are:
- “Secrets of Visual Storytelling” workshop with David Linuesa and Antonio González Caro
- Workshop with Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur
- XXII SEMINARIO DE FOTOGRAFÍA Y PERIODISMO, Albarracín, Spain, directed by Gervasio Sánchez
- Member of Academy of Photography, Bulgaria – Yanka Kyurkchieva
Seeking primarily the documentary approach, if the project allows it, I sneak in the conceptual perspective as a way to achieve the desired result – stepping into new photographic territories and creating micro worlds, where neglected social and environmental topics can manifest.
Photo: Rosslana Damyanova