I am drawn to a narrative filled with dark history as I photograph the landscape and the people in my homeland Estonia. I find clues of resistance whether it’s photographing people waiting at the bus stop in the dead of winter, or making a portrait of a boxer after losing a match I am curious about the experiences of survival and recuperation. It’s peculiar to see how despite having to overcome a long-term political occupation, personal losses or heartbreak the land perseveres and the people carry on in a courageous and unapologetic manner.

Terttu Uibopuu (b. 1984) is a photographer born in Estonia, moved to the United States in 2002 and has received a BFA in Photography from Columbia College of Chicago and an MFA in Photography from Yale University. Terttu teaches photography at the International Center of Photography, NYC and at Wesleyan University, CT. She has received the Alice Kimball Traveling Fellowship, Tierney Fellowship and has participated in the AIM program at Bronx Museum of the Arts.