“I’m Kayra Atasoy, a photographer from Turkey. My practice sits between personal storytelling and documentary work, shaped by themes of migration, belonging, identity, youth, and gender. I’m drawn to people and places in transition, those navigating movement, memory, and displacement. Most of my projects begin with a personal connection and grow into long-form narratives. Whether I’m working on something intimate or constructed, I aim to create images that hold weight, quietly observant, but rooted in presence.
“I began photographing out of necessity, first as a way to document the resistance and resilience I saw around me in Turkey. It was political from the beginning: about how we exist, how we endure. Over time, the lens turned inward. I began to document the people closest to me, their transformations, their contradictions, our shared moments. Photography became a language of intimacy, of witnessing. That’s still what drives me.
“My work is often shaped by themes of migration, belonging, and identity. I’m drawn to in-between spaces, places and people caught between staying and leaving, rootedness and movement. Much of what I make grows from real relationships and evolves into long-form narratives that explore what it means to hold onto memory, place, and self. I also explore themes of youth, gender, and underrepresented voices, aiming to contribute to a broader conversation around displacement and the idea of home.
“This was an editorial for my artist friend Leo’s project. It was our second time working together, he came to me with this idea, and we visualized the story. It follows two lovers caught in an argument, maybe over a gun or maybe something else. It’s hazy and cinematic, like we’re just watching them move through the night. The story unfolds as we follow them, blurring fantasy and emotion.
“My creative scene is shaped by a mix of spaces, mostly between Turkey and Europe. It’s made up of queer artists, immigrants, friends who make music, people who’ve stayed and people who’ve left. It’s not really one place, it’s more like a patchwork that travels with me. I’m currently working on a long-term documentary project, which explores belonging, migration, and memory across Turkey and Europe. Alongside that, I’m expanding my archival analog series ‘Blame the Youth’ into a creative platform, a growing community that supports and collaborates with emerging artists across borders. I’m also collaborating with fashion designers and multidisciplinary artists on editorial and visual projects.”
Photographer: @kayraatasoy – Kayra Atasoy
Original idea: @leoke.nl – Leoke
Styling: @paintersradio – Kamilla Thot
Mua: @paintersradio
Talents: @maxenejames @leoke.nl – Maxene James, Leoke
Assisting : @aysimirem – Irem Aysin Deprem
Companies
Dazed Media
- Publishing