Mari Saxon’s ‘An Untold Fairytale’ Reimagines Motherhood Through Staged Self-Portraiture
Russian-born conceptual photographer Mari Saxon, based in the USA since 2022, explores motherhood, femininity, and identity in her performative photography series 'An Untold Fairytale.' The project features staged self-portraits with her two daughters, drawing on darker Russian folk traditions to create scenes that blend beauty with unease. Emerging from the dislocation of emigration, Saxon transforms domestic space into a site of collaborative storytelling. The series was featured in the Critical Mass Top 50 in 2025, and a successful Kickstarter campaign funded a photobook currently in production. The self-published book will be available for purchase on her website in Fall 2026. Saxon, who transitioned from architecture to photography in 2023, has since exhibited in over 50 shows and received multiple awards.
Key facts
- Mari Saxon is a Russian-born conceptual photographer based in the USA since 2022.
- The series 'An Untold Fairytale' uses staged self-portraiture with her two daughters.
- The project draws on darker Russian folk traditions.
- It emerged from the dislocation of emigration.
- The series was featured in the Critical Mass Top 50 in 2025.
- A successful Kickstarter campaign funded a photobook.
- The self-published book will be available in Fall 2026.
- Saxon began her lens-based art practice in 2023.
Entities
Artists
- Mari Saxon
Institutions
- Critical Mass
- Kickstarter
- Lenscratch
Locations
- USA
- Russia