Today we’d like to introduce you to Rinat Shahmetov.
Hi Rinat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born on October 6, 1989, in Moscow, Russia (former USSR). From 1995 to 2006, I attended and graduated from Moscow’s Lyadov Music School No. 15, specializing in piano. My education in musical literature was under the guidance of Yuri Leonidovich Glier, the grandson of the esteemed composer Reinhold Glier (1875–1956). Concurrently, from 2004 to 2007, I pursued studies at the physics and mathematics school No. 1550. In the summer of 2007, I embarked on my higher education journey at The Russian University of Transport (RUT (MIIT)), completing my degree in the summer of 2012 with a diploma in engineering (Computer Science). Between 2003 and 2015, I engaged in tennis at the October Stadium, and from 2014 to 2015, I honed my skills at the DarkRoom School of Photography. I worked at “The Freight One,” the largest privately-owned high-tech company providing freight logistics services in Russia and abroad, from 2012 to 2019.
In 2019, I left “The Freight One” to forge my own path in photography. That same year, after a breakup with my girlfriend, I created the project “He and She,” allowing viewers to potentially find resonance or emotional parallels within their own lives. A photograph from this project clinched first place at the Russian Photo Awards 2020. Despite the COVID year limiting its media reach, it was featured in a significantly restricted exhibition.
November 2020 marked the beginning of my collaboration with the singer Rinat Zakerov, leading to the release of “Only You” and “What Fairy Tale Are You From” on Apple Music, with my photographs gracing the covers in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In 2021, I met singer Kamil Fehretdinov; our collaboration resulted in his song “Mother,” also adorned with my photography, being released on Apple Music. Throughout 2021 and 2022, I worked alongside notable personalities such as models Kristina Makarova and Albina Maklakova, singer Aigul Rahimova, actress and host Leisan Dusaeva, among others.
April 2022 saw the publication of my photograph “Obedience to Love” in VOGUE Italia. That year, alongside Albina Maklakova, we graced the cover of Malvie magazine, which featured an article and photographs. With model Farida Baltaji, the magazine Artells showcased our work. Subsequently, my photographs were published, details of which would follow later. Autumn 2022 brought me third place at the WPE Awards International contest in the “creative wedding” category. December 2022 saw two of my photographs, “Obedience to Love” and “Self-portrait,” exhibited at the Boomer Gallery VOGUE in London, England.
February 2023 included me in the longlisted 50 of the BBA ONE SHOT AWARD, and my photograph “Obedience to Love” was exhibited at the BBA Gallery in Berlin, Germany. That February, I relocated to New York, USA, having been granted an extraordinary talent visa for photography. Throughout 2023, in collaboration with model Karolina Geits, my photographs adorned the covers of Pump and Moevir magazines. The magazine FIGGI released an issue featuring my photograph on the cover with model Cassandra Feldman. In September 2023, my work participated in the ART ON LOOP exhibition in Milan, Italy. That September, at the INTERNATIONAL PHOTO AWARDS USA in the “People / Children” category, my photograph “Emigrant” earned an Honorable Mention. Furthermore, at the Budapest International Foto Awards, the same photograph, now titled “Child,” garnered a Silver award in the “People / Children” category, and my “proximity” photograph received a Silver in the “Events / Wedding” category.
In February 2024, VOGUE Italia’s gallery featured my photograph “Emigrant.” In March 2024, “Loneliness” was published in the same esteemed gallery.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path of my life has its own ups and downs, yet it hasn’t been filled with unbearable obstacles either. So, what does a smooth road mean? After all, life is existence itself: seeing, feeling, breathing, hearing, moving… To say it was hard or, in opposite, easy would be untrue. Yes, life does have its difficult periods when it’s unclear which direction to move in or how best to act. Currently, I am alone in a country where I have no family or close ones, and this is relatively hard to handle, as we are in different corners of the world, and no one can come over in the evening, knock on my door, and say, “Hey, here we are.” Or to kiss and hug my mom, sister… It deeply feels that I am somewhere far away, in another world. From the perspective of adaptation, there are its own trials: from establishing new contacts, which are extremely important here, to starting life from scratch, beginning with renting a place to live and ending with minor everyday issues.
In tough moments, it’s important not to give up but to move forward.
What is true difficulties? It’s winning a tennis match while being confined to a wheelchair.
In other words, it’s a stage of life that one must go through and continue moving forward.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My art primarily manifests in creating portrait photographs and organizing commercial photo shoots for fashion brands, from rising stars to established names and romantic love stories. It also includes lifestyle photography, which covers both wedding celebrations and warm family stories.
Every person carries uniqueness, their own distinctive style. I am still searching for my own language in photography, which might already be starting to emerge. My photographs are an attempt to capture life in its unforced flow, sometimes mysterious at first glance. My works intertwine the living stories of people and personal reflections, always with deep respect for aesthetics and a pursuit to find harmony between the significance of the moment and its beauty. The challenge for an artist or photographer lies in maintaining diversity in their creations while having a recognizable style. Although many strive to find their unique signature, I wish for only one subtle detail in my photographs to become the key to my authorial vision.
We can recognize the works of Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson but imagine the intrigue of experimenting with their styles in the manner of Steven Meisel. Photography, for me, is a space for experimentation and freedom of thought, an opportunity to explore and express oneself through an infinite variety of visual languages.
Art is perceived subjectively, and each photograph meets different views and feelings. My works are no exception. There are people who find inspiration in them and others who might not appreciate them as much. This natural aspect of creativity calls for a diversity of tastes and preferences. Acknowledging this fact does not diminish the value of art but emphasizes its richness and variety. In the end, what matters most is the sincerity and truth we aim to convey through our works, leaving room for dialogue, reflection, and, perhaps, new discoveries.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
My mother could probably tell much more about this. As a child, I attended a music school. I visited art galleries. Whether I liked it or not, I absorbed it all. And in the future, it yielded its results. I, however, wanted to go into sports. There was a story: when my mom was a child or a bit older, she used to visit a girl who played the piano. She really liked how the girl could just sit down and start playing. And my mom had a dream to teach her children music, a dream she realized by first enrolling my sister in a music school. The following year, they enrolled me. That’s how my 9-year musical period began. My mom was athletic and played tennis. She took me to tennis tryouts. One of the exercises was to collect as many balls as possible. While all the children were collecting, I, instead of collecting for myself, helped a girl, haha. I was about 5 or 6 years old… And it was very expensive for our family, so we had to give up on tennis. Later, when I was older, I managed to start learning tennis and also played football.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shahmetov.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rinatshahmetov
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/rinatshahmetov
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rinatshahmetov
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rinatshahmetov
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rinatshahmetov
- Other: https://www.behance.net/shahmetov
- Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/rinatshahmetov
