Q&A with JEZGA
We chat to Anna Rosova - Founder of JEZGA - A printed magazine which showcases the work of emerging Latvian and Eastern European creatives.
Hi Anna! To kick-off our chat, we’d love to know what the motivation was behind founding your own magazine?
The idea came to be whilst having a glass of wine (maybe more like a bottle) with two good friends of mine who are both really talented artists in Latvia, however they were just not getting much exposure. Both me, and co-founder Will, could see that there is a lot of talent over there and across Eastern Europe — so the idea was to create a platform to bring these emerging artists
forward. With my background as a photographer, and Will being a graphic designer, it made a lot of sense to create something that could combine the two. With both of us having a life long love for magazines, it made sense for us to create a physical magazine.
“We definitely don’t believe that print is dying, if anything, we are realising rapidly how our screens can have a negative effect, and we want to create something tangible and inspiring that will keep you away from your phone.”
We’re always consuming imagery instantaneously in the online world, and hopefully the printed form slows down that process, and means people really take the time to absorb the creative work featured in our pages.
“Growing up in a post-Soviet country, your outlook is obviously going to differ from those of rest of Europe.”
What made you want to reflect on the fashion photography coming out of Eastern Europe?
We believe that where you grow up can define how you see things, especially creatively. Growing up in a post-Soviet country, your outlook is obviously going to differ from those of rest of Europe - the environment is vastly different, both sociologically, architecturally, culturally, politically… you
name it. The young creatives emerging from Eastern European countries simply have a different perspective, one that we find fascinating and wanted to explore further.
What is the theme of the second issue of JEZGA magazine?
In our second issue we have chosen to focus on the themes of love, sex and gender giving our contributors free reign to explore the themes through their work and ultimately presenting their visions and perceptions of these topics.
In London these themes are widely covered, maybe even a bit exhausted, but in Eastern Europe they are still generally not discussed in public and we wanted to help move the conversation forward. With each issue we try to work with a theme that will touch on a topic that’s not been fully explored or discussed.
Why is it called “JEZGA” magazine”?
The name comes from an old Latvian word — “jezga” can be roughly translated to mean mess, havoc, or tumult — but in a way that can also be positive. We thought that it represented well what we were trying to showcase — the force of the creative energy emerging from Latvia, the Baltics,
and Eastern Europe. On a simpler level — we just loved the look of it, the fact that the letter “Z” is not used much in the English language, and the fact that it’s a fun word to design around.
Are fashion trends important in your photography?
Our photography style is quite raw, playful, bold, unedited, documentary. I would say in that sense we are covering a trend, as we shoot a lot of our stories on film, which is obviously a big hype at the moment.
Any tips you can give to someone who is thinking about starting their own magazine?
I would say, make sure it’s something you’re really passionate about, as it will definitely cost you a lot of time and money. Find people who are engaged in the same topics as you, and reach out to them — and definitely make sure to find a good printer!
And finally, for all those eager to, where can we buy JEZGA magazine?
It can be purchased online, either through our own website or Stack Magazines — as well as a good selection of shops, including Artwords Broadway Market, MagMa and MagCulture.
You can keep up to date with JEZGA Magazine over on the Instagram, or click here to check out the website.
