Photography graduate Freja Blomstrand named winner of ‘inaugural graduate award’
She Shall be Pure
Graduate of the BA in Photographic Media course Freja Blomstrand has begun a mentorship with the Gallery of Photography for her final year project, ‘She Shall be Pure’. Freja was one of three photography graduates to win the inaugural award, alongside Izabela Szczutkowska (TU Dublin) and Jialin Long (IADT).
Gallery of Photography mentorship
Winning this mentorship means Freja will receive guidance and support while developing new projects. According to the Gallery of Photography, Freja’s mentorship will also see her “receive a production bursary from Gallery of Photography Ireland, a print portfolio showcasing her work and a display in the Print Space adjacent to the bookshop on its ground floor.”
The project
Freja's final year work, "She Shall be Pure" engages with and challenges the stigma surrounding menstruation.
“The menstrual taboo is deeply entrenched in our society and has been affecting women and menstruators’ lives for eternity. This taboo has led women and menstruators to hide away, be ashamed or make efforts to conceal what is a natural bodily function. Some women and menstruators are forcefully sent into isolation during their menstruation, while others are hiding tampons in their sleeves for fear of being identified as menstruating. Through a series of staged photographs, interviews and quotes, ‘She shall be pure’ questions the common perception of the female coded body as a vehicle for something pure and perfect and aims to normalise menstruation.”
Griffith College creative
Each year Griffith College hosts its Creative Week, where final year creative students showcase their projects. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this show was moved online. You can view Freja's work, here.