PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE

Tuva Wolf

Tuva Wolf, the photography alias of news editor Merja Iileka, is a Namibian creative specialising in visuals and creative direction. After completing her multi-media studies that included photography as a subject in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuva Wolf returned to her motherland where she honed her photography skills for over a decade in the newsroom while compiling stories mainly from populous northern Namibia, which is known for its rich culture. This affinity for storytelling that not only uses words, but also photographs, in 2017 eventually bore the fruit that is TW Studio.

TW Studio is focused on conceptual fashion photography, a style that is largely untapped in Namibia. Through her still relatively young studio, Tuva Wolf’s visuals have landed on the walls of local art galleries, on billboards, online magazines and newspaper covers.

As a biracial woman born in exile to a black African mother and a white European father, Tuva Wolf has always been interested in topics of identity, race and feminism and in exploring how these subjects can be used to tell stories through fashion photography. This is a theme that continues to be a source of inspiration while Tuva Wolf explores her own place and identity in the world. Her primary mission is to empower other creatives and to use visual platforms to start dialogue. “The idea is to get to the centre of who we are as a people and to discover ways of celebrating our existence as Africans.”

Tuva Wolf started work on a deeply personal, long-term project called Shades Of Industry in 2019. It is a collaboration with other creatives, including African models, designers, stylists and makeup artists. The project centres on blackness and is aimed at defining as well as redefining beauty standards in art form.

At the Katutura Fashion Week (KFW) Awards 2019 Tuva Wolf was named Photographer of the Year. In 2018 she was named Favourite Photographer at the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion (SYMLAFA) Awards.

Website: www.tuvawolf.net | Facebook: @Tuva Wolf | Instagram: @tuvawolf