Who Is Iringó Demeter?
Iringó Demeter grew up in a hamlet in Transylvania, Romania. Both her parents are doctors, so she was constantly exposed to discussions about the human body, and as a curious child she peeked at many stitches and bruises. At age seven, she witnessed a birth. She went on to study fine art and later fashion photography in London—where she has been based now for seven years. “I thought that the fashion element added an extra challenge to how one looks at the body,” she explains. London “is still fuelling my curiosity every day and it allows me to work with people (and their bodies!) in so many different ways. From beauty, fashion to personal projects and editorials evolving around the subject. It’s so fascinating.”
Why Should You Follow Her?
Demeter’s work explores her passion for the human body and all its processes, up close and intimate, shot with an unflinching but deeply empathetic eye. “I know that sometimes it is hard to accept ourselves and what happens to our bodies and how that affects our mind and emotions.” Her images are a journey of self-discovery and a path to self-acceptance. “My belief is that it’s good to talk, both about the good and the bad.”
What Instagram Doesn’t Tell You
A pivotal moment in Demeter’s practice came when she was invited to photograph a woman, D, before the birth of her first child. The project—and their friendship—evolved over the years and Demeter was present to document the last moments breastfeeding her child. She was also asked to photograph D the day before she was scheduled to have surgery to remove a foetus who had miscarried—on D’s request. “The way she reacted when she saw the images and how she would mention her interaction with them, made me feel—I think for the first time—that my work has purpose. The power in capturing intimate moments of a mother with her child, carrying it inside of her or by her side, changed the way I look at photography and what I am interested in achieving with it,” she reflects. Since then, Demeter has continued to explore motherhood and collect stories from other women—but she won’t be sharing any images until later this year, when she hopes she will have something very special. “The decision to continue and reach out to more mothers in the hope of building a body of work celebrating them, came easy and naturally,” she tells me. “It will always be an ongoing interest of mine.”
