Fabulous Miss K.

I’ve photographed Karen (Fabulous Miss K)  This particular image is just one among many captured during various shoots over the years. Some images from this shoot went on to find a wider audience, with one being selected as a winning image in The British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Britain 2019 and another being displayed at the ‘Hello Future Fashion’ exhibition as part of Norwich Science Week in 2021. This particular image though has sat on a hard drive. Revisiting this work a few months ago this one uncropped really caught me. Left uncropped, including the behind the scenes  preserve’s its authenticity maybe. Plus the body language and perhaps I also miss this studio space a little bit. 

The studio it was taken in was the back room of a former tattoo shop in Norwich. Despite its rough and unfinished appearance, the space had a unique bohemian vibe that inspired creativity. I worked from there for a couple of years.  I don’t miss the dampness or chaos of the building, but I look at the walls and the paint splattered concrete floor and I must confess a sense of nostalgia for its rawness and honesty.

Reflecting on my creative journey, I find myself  acknowledging the impact of my environment on my process. Unconventional studio spaces have played a pivotal role in shaping my work. I question if I would have created the same impactful images in a more clinical setting.

I’m now on my fourth studio in six years. I’m hoping 2024 will afford me time to make a fair bit of work in my current studio and I’m curious to see how this latest space will influence my work. Yet, amidst the changes and evolution, the several studio moves, I do  hold onto the memories and lessons learned from my time in each one, even that crazy back room in the old tattoo shop. It was a place where creativity flourished and where I developed. 

Will my current space be my forever studio? Well, what I have also learned is that studio’s don’t always stay the same, things change and buildings evolve. So will I be posting about a studio move at some point in the future? I wouldn’t rule it out. 

Karen is a stylist specialising in vintage clothing. You can view her website here

To chat with me about commissions or make general enquiries, suggest ideas on how we can work together, feel free to email me hello@kerrycurl.com . Follow me over on  instagram