Clara’s work is both gentle and confronting, both sensitive and cerebral. Timeless and quietly evocative, her photos have a power all their own. Here, she spoke with me about the intersections of art and psychology, the nature of photography, and keeping hope in difficult times.
Quinna Hadley (QH): Describe who you are and what you do in a couple of sentences.
Clara Araujo (CA): My name is Clara and I'm a visual artist and psychologist. I can't leave my interest in the human condition out of my photography, nor my passion for arts out of my work as a psychologist.
QH: When did you start taking photographs, and what motivates you to continue?
CA: I started taking photos when I was about thirteen years old. What motivates me to keep going is how passionate I am about photography: it literally brings meaning into my life. It's the best way I have found to express myself, and to try and leave a mark on this world. I just can't see my life without it.
QH: What does the word sagrada (sacred) bring to mind for you?
CA: The word sagrada makes me think of tradition, spirituality, faith, and being true to what you believe in.
QH: What do you love most in this world?
CA: I honestly don't know. I guess I would say places with lots of water. Is that too weird?
QH: (No, it isn’t!) And what is bringing you joy right now?
CA: My cats. They always make my days lighter and make me smile.
QH: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
CA: I wanted to be so many things! But my first memory related to this is a scientist – I was obsessed with the idea of being one. I remember being crazy about becoming a marine biologist.
QH: What are five traits you would use to describe yourself?
CA: Emotional, intuitive, introverted, creative, and melancholic.
QH: What is your favorite book?
CA: 1984 by George Orwell. It's the best thing I have ever read in my life.
QH: What are your creative and/or professional goals?
CA: I have quite a few of them! I would love to have my work in more exhibitions, and hopefully have a solo gallery show someday. Another thing I really want to make in the next few years is a book. I'm looking forward to giving more photography tutoring lessons as well – I love these experiences so much.
QH: When you feel challenged, frustrated, or burned out by life, what gives you hope?
CA: This is honestly a difficult question. Since the beginning of last year, it got harder and harder for me to feel optimistic. But one thing that usually gives me hope is remembering that all things are temporary: all things must pass, including any frustration or feelings of being burned-out.
QH: Is there a piece of wisdom or advice you’ve received in your life that has been helpful to you, that you’d like to share with others?
CA: Yes. I think the best piece of wisdom I have received was from my therapist and from my mother, who both said it to me: it takes time to be experienced and outstanding at something. Most people will not have made any significant body of work or be extremely successful in their twenties, and that's absolutely fine. Building something truly great takes time, and probably a lot of it. When I start to compare myself to others or feel insecure about my achievements, I always remember this. I am young and learning every day, and I always feel like I have a lot more to learn and to experience.
QH: How have you been thinking about your photography lately?
CA: Photography to me is a way to capture life while facing our inevitable mortality. Once you press the shutter, that exact moment is gone. It no longer exists, but is forever frozen in a photograph, which can, in a way, be eternal. Today I am aware that I take photos because I know that everything we have is lost throughout our lives. I don't mean this in a sad, nihilistic way – it is just the cycle of life. In a few years, my twenties will be gone. My relatives, my friends, my cats, and everything around me will not be here forever, and I want to carry part of them with me: through the pictures I take, my memories become immortal and can be cherished again and again.
Clara Araujo, Instagram: @clarapnaraujo.
