Nicoline Aagesen
Copenhagen, Denmark
Bio:
Danish raised, Hong Kong based Photographer Nicoline Aagesen is a sucker for imperfections. A self confessed adventure junkie with an addiction for travel, Nicoline has pushed the boundaries of Hong Kong’s underground fashion photography scene since 2013. My Camera My Rules (MCMR), she describes as her playground, her world of freedom and happiness, where she can turn her fantasy into reality, her personal diary and time machine. The MCMR alias came via comedic means after encountering a particularly confrontational model she was shooting.
Nicoline’s response was “My Camera My Rules!” and so, the trademark statement was born. Steering the helm of this now successful brand, and with collaborative ventures across the board, Nicoline has established herself as a wildly unique character in the visual world, and to date the former dancer turned model, turned photographer has exhibited in Australia, London, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Ibiza and Denmark. Co-founder of Artizians, a creative agency headquartered in London, she sees herself as a female empowerment photographer.
Taking to the streets to shoot her trademark style of photography, raw unedited and unapologetic, her work challenges stereotypes of body representation while adding shock value and sex appeal to her portraits. SEEN London described her photos as having “a candy-coloured palette reminiscent of David La Chapelle, mixed with the in-control sexiness of Ellen von UnWerth’s oeuvre. Her work has been labeled erotic, candid, fun and post-feminist. Not a fan of retouching and preferring not to attach labels of her own, Nicoline simply asks the viewer to not take her works too seriously…
“I like to leave mistakes. That is what real life is like.”
Tell us about Denmark and growing up there? What prompted the move to Hong Kong?
Denmark is my heart, but the world is my playground.
I first moved to Greece then London then NY then Hong Kong then LA… I draw inspiration from everyone I meet and everywhere I go.
I’ve been living the gypsy life out of a suitcase for years now which helped shape my style.
Tell us about your work and the, being a female photographer in the industry and if it changes they way you shoot with models?
I don’t think gender has anything to do with it. I think personality and creative vision is what really matters.
You have a very vibrant and distinctive shooting style, was its something you were always aiming for or did it come along naturally, how was the progression from starting photography to where you are now?
I had a clear vision of I wanted to shoot. I wanted to capture raw, strong, independent, fun images full of personality. I basically wanted to shoot my models as I wish photographers shot me when I was modelling.
Who are some of your favorite photographers / artists works you take inspiration from?
Tony Kelly, Ellen von Unwerth, Henrik Purienne, David LaChapelle & Terry Richardson.
Is there something specific you want viewers to see/feel when you create your images?
I always aim to trigger some kind of emotions. If it doesn’t make you feel anything, whats the point?
We would love to learn a little more about London based Artizans.
Artizians is founded by Tiziana des Pallieres. I was the first artist she signed, and we were a match made in heaven and became partners in Artizians.
What do you have planned for later in the year after Corona Virus, have you had any projects put on hold your looking forward to jumping back in to?
Well the plan was to move to London and work on my BFF’s project @the14thfactory as we did in LA 3 years ago. It’s a warehouse wonderland and I can wait for it to open again in a new city.
What are your favorite things about Hong Kong, is there any where else in Asia you’ve visited you loved?
I fell head over hills in love with HK when I first arrived in 2010. The contrast of city and nature is pure magic to me.
Asia is paradise when you in search for the endless summer, so I’ve been travelling between Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia etc. And I absolutely love it.
Where can we find you online?
@mycameramyrules @nicolineaagesen and website is on the way.
