Åsa Sjöström’s Affinity with Adversity

Swedish documentary photographer Åsa Sjöström builds trust with her subjects, mainly women and children in challenging circumstances, to reveal the strength they embody.

WORDS: NICK RICE, PHOTOGRAPHY: ÅSA SJÖSTRÖM

After a 40-minute conversation via Zoom with Åsa Sjöström the impression left about her character is unmistakable. The undercurrent of compassion that runs through her work makes sense, as she is clearly committed to understanding and supporting others, specifically women and children facing difficult circumstances.

Alongside this affinity she has for others, there lies a strong will and formidable determination. Qualities that have seen her through her own difficult periods growing up, and helped build her career in photography. Åsa studied at the Nordic School of Photojournalism and was a Staff photographer at DN and Sydsvenskan between 2004-2013. Ever since she has been working as a freelance, gaining awards and respect for work that focuses on equal rights and the situation of women and children around the world.

She reveals how she connects with her subjects to create a space of trust. From where she can capture authentic moments of everyday life and reveal the strength that they embody.

“People have this strength in themselves that I think is really beautiful.”

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING PEOPLE CONNECT WITH IN VIEWING YOUR WORK?
Humanity. And also, that the pictures are making people curious to know more about what’s behind the pictures. I have a lot of vulnerable people in my pictures but I try to picture them in a way that I think they would like to be pictured. I mean, like everyone wants… to show their strength and proudness… because everyone has that in themselves.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH WORKING WITH YOUR SUBJECTS?
It’s very important that people invite me into their lives. I never picture people that don’t want to be pictured. Well, if I'm working for newspaper and I’m sent out to cover violence or something like that, well, then you can’t really decide… but I always want to feel invited and that's how I connect. It’s like a relationship. When you work with documentaries or still projects, longer projects, and you live with the families… I have to love them and they have to love me. Otherwise it’s impossible to work.

DO YOU HAVE AN OBJECTIVE IN MIND FOR HOW YOUR IMAGES WILL BE RECEIVED?
It’s important that people want to look at my pictures because if they don’t, if they are too horrible or if they are too beautiful, then it’s not interesting. So, it has to be interesting pictures – and people tend to like interesting pictures on their walls.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE MOTIVATION WITH YOUR WORK – WHAT IS THE STAND YOU ARE TAKING?
People have this strength in themselves that I think is really beautiful. I mean, imagine a woman who finally can live her own life without this abusive husband, or brother, or whatever. You have to be really, really strong to be able to do that… and that’s something that I really want to show.