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Margaret Soraya
Margaret Soraya is a professional landscape photographer based in the Highlands of Scotland. She has a passion for the coast and waves in particular and frequently travels solo around the Scottish islands in pursuit of the perfect wave.
The landscapes I capture on the remote Scottish Islands are a reflection of solo time in nature, being still and embracing quiet. This forms the basis of my new solo exhibition that will open at The Bosham Gallery on the 5th October.
I thrive in quiet. I need stillness to revitalise and to heal. Part of that is possibly my introvert nature wanting balance in a world that seems to value extroversion. One of the greatest gifts of introversion is the ability to harness the hidden power of solitude.
There’s a freedom is being alone, not needing to respond to anyone or be a version of myself other than my true nature. It allows me to be purely myself and that feeds into the landscapes I take.
A few people recently asked if I would mind them painting from my landscapes. I realised that I did mind. I wanted them to make their own journeys, to paint totally from their own hearts rather than filtering through my interpretation of the landscape.
When you’re creating, it’s important to travel your own journey. You need to be conscious of who you are and create from that place, taking photos that truly speak to you. That’s the case for all kinds of photography including landscapes or, in fact, anything creative. It gives you your own unique style and a strength to your portfolio.
I travel around Scotland in my sprinter van which I’ve converted for sleeping and cooking on the go. It means I can stay in the remotest of locations and am self-contained. I often stay on the islands for up to a week at a time, waiting for conditions to be right.
The Scottish islands are the embodiment of all the values I uphold in my life and work. Their quiet, beautiful stretches of landscape touch the soul with their raw beauty.
The contrast of the stillness of my mind, standing yards away from 12-foot waves crashing down is almost ironic. The process is complete when an image is created which represents the state of mind rather than the literal translation of the scene.
An exhibition celebrating the untouched beauty of the Scottish Hebrides, its remote rugged coastline and endless white sandy beaches. As an introvert who specifically visits these remote islands extending in an arc off the west coast of Scotland in search of solitude, Soraya’s work questions the cultural bias towards extroverts that exists in today’s western society, its obsession with personality over character, and reminds us of the healing power of solitude as the antidote to being constantly connected in today’s frantic digital world. ~ Luke Whitaker, Director Bosham Gallery, September 2019
Exhibition details
See Margaret Soraya’s landscapes from the Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides and Orkney Isles in her exhibition ‘Quiet’ at Bosham Gallery, 1 High Street, Bosham, West Sussex PO18 8LS from October 5-December 7, 2019.
- Saturday 5th October | PRIVATE VIEW | 6.30-8.30pm
- Sunday 3rd November | COLD WATER SWIMMING In Chichester Harbour With Margaret Soraya
- Monday 4th November | LADIES DAY | Finding Solitude Through Photography
- Wednesday 6th November | INTROVERT DAY | Are You An Introvert Or An Extrovert?
