Inka Ruka is one of Latvias foremost documentary photographers. With great warmth and respect for the individual, she has for over three decades portrayed people from her home country. Her attending and carefully composed pictures tells the story of the difficulties, but also the joys and happiness of life.
Ruka has a special ability to create a mutual connection with other people. She talks with people on the street, in the line to the bathroom or at the kiosk, and makes them tell her about their life. In her photographs, the trust in the unfeigned eyes of the portrayed is visible when they are looking straight into the camera without trying to embellish or protect themselves. Ruka photographs people’s everyday life, often in their home or local environment. The portraits are close and personal, but combined, the pictures narrate the story of a time and a way of living, which are soon disappearing in Europe.
