Lotta Sulin

Lottaland

The Finnish Museum of Photography exhibits and records the contemporary culture of photography, which is primarily digital and showcased online. As part of the Insta_Suomi project in 2018, a suggestion from members of the public brought Lotta Sulin's (b. 2002) fashion photographs to the museum's attention. “Sulin was chosen for the project because she represents the young Instagram user for whom Instagram is the primary platform. Another reason for choosing Sulin was that she is ambitious about photography”, says Anni Wallenius, Chief Curator of Collections at the Finnish Museum of Photography.

“With fashion photos I can create ensembles that form completely novel dimensions. I want to awaken an empowering feeling in my models when I photograph them, to help them take heart and live within the role and within the imaginary world we're creating together. The title of my debut exhibition, Lottaland, refers to this world of my own”, Sulin says.

Sulin constructs her photographs entirely herself, from developing the surroundings and designing and sewing the models’ outfits to directing the models. She publishes the photographs on her Instagram account @Lottabylotta. Sulin's photographs have also been published on the Korean Vogue's and Yhteishyvä magazine's website.

“I started with these photographs about two years ago. My platform is Instagram, and my serial working style suits the format very well. I've also been offered all of my big breaks and possibilities through IG, such as being asked to shoot for Korean Vogue and having my work displayed in this museum. In the future I want to develop technically, and work with my favorite magazines”, Sulin says.

The exhibition is displayed in the Angle space, which exhibits the museum’s collections. The Finnish Museum of Photography's collection includes 39 photographs by Lotta Sulin.