Barbara Smok - MA Photography
The Language of Silence: In the Space Between Cultures
My MA Photography project, The Language of Silence, portrays the quiet strength and dignity of women from diverse cultural backgrounds through portraiture. Though silent, these images speak of identity, determination, and respect.
The project stems from my own experience as a migrant woman. I wanted to create a space for women living between cultures — women who show resilience, gratitude, and strength while building their lives in a new country. Silence became both a symbol of their delicacy and a reflection of the calm restraint in their poses.
To develop the work, I invited seventeen women of different cultural backgrounds and listened to their stories. These conversations shaped the portraits, giving them depth beyond what can be seen visually. Their words, experiences, and identities guided how I chose to represent them.
Artistically, I drew inspiration from classical portrait painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as contemporary artists like Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk. From them I borrowed a sense of balance, light, and timelessness. In photography, I looked to August Sander and Rineke Dijkstra, whose portraits reveal both individuality and wider social contexts. I wanted my own images to feel similarly timeless yet contemporary, subtle yet expressive.
As a commercial and portrait photographer, I am used to working in a client-focused environment. This project has been an important step towards more artistic and research-driven practice, allowing me to explore new ways of storytelling through portraiture.
At a time when discussions around migration can be divisive, The Language of Silence seeks to emphasise belonging, gratitude, and respect. I hope these portraits encourage viewers to pause, reflect, and find meaning in the silence between the images and themselves.
