We recently connected with Deb Achak and have shared our conversation below.
Deb , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
My most recent work, All the Colors I Am Inside, is a photobook of landscapes and portraiture that explores our relationship to our interior lives and who we are under the surface. The book, published in 2023 with Kehrer Verlag, connects my spiritual curiosity with my photography work. I have long admired the medium of fine art photo books, so it was particularly gratifying to publish a book of my own work. Every aspect of the project, from photo editing, sequencing, design, and printing, was deeply meaningful to me personally and professionally and marked the culmination of nearly a decade of work.
Deb , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a fine art photographer based in Seattle, Washington. Photography is my second career. I have a Master’s degree in Social Work but left that practice in 2007 and began pursuing a career in photography shortly thereafter. My work has been featured in more than 40 exhibitions worldwide and four solo shows at Winston Wächter Fine Art Seattle. My first book was published in 2023.
Can you offer any advice for emerging artists?
I am primarily self-taught but have worked closely with mentors throughout my career. Having a seasoned photographer review my work and offer feedback and guidance has been essential to my artistic growth. My advice to younger artists is to find mentors to support them at every stage of their career. Even after years in the business, I rely on mentors to keep me fresh and engaged.
One of the skills I am most proud of is printing my own work. Every exhibition and print sale is prepared in my studio. Early in my career, I studied fine art printing with an extraordinary mentor. This valuable skill has allowed me to execute my vision from the moment I press the shutter until the final photograph is rendered on paper. Printing is complex and full of creative decisions, but I appreciate having control over the final product.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Making art is like an archeological dig into one’s subconscious. I feel lucky to explore meaning and beauty in my profession, which also feels like a lovely connection to my first career as a social worker. I have always been curious about our interior lives, and now I explore them in a visual medium.
Photography has taken me on extraordinary adventures throughout my career. My first two bodies of work were captured while swimming with my camera in beaches throughout the world. Often, my children and husband were with me during those trips, and I feel fortunate that I have been able to share those experiences with the people I love the most. My third and fourth bodies of work were photographed during the pandemic and helped me make sense of how difficult life was at the time. And then, finally, the printing of my first book, All the Colors I Am Inside, fulfilled a lifelong dream to publish a book. Being able to realize so many dreams and share the finished product in exhibitions, for awards, and with collectors is a dream.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Artists need eyes on their work to continue to thrive. We often operate as our own public relations team, but our efforts only go so far. Attend art openings, reach out directly to artists if you like their work, encourage your local paper to hire writers to cover local art, and think consciously about curating art in your own home. To have a thriving art ecosystem, we need more than just artists producing beautiful work. We need people willing to provide opportunities, publish articles and interviews (such as this one), and purchase the art for their homes and businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.debachak.com
- Instagram: @debachak
Image Credits
Headshot photo credit: Belathee @belathee