Photographer, model

When we started HÉRNI, we had to think about the image of a woman named HÉRNI.

Natalie was born and raised in Sweden. Meeting her, who is also a photographer and artist, helped us further develop our image of "HÉRNI."

Behind her diverse activities, she lives naturally and with a strong sense of self. Perhaps this is why we have such a strong image of HÉRNI.

And we wanted to know more about her, which attracted us.

-What is your connection with Japan?

"I was 19 years old and had just graduated from high school, so I decided to travel alone and came to Japan for the first time. I wanted to go to the farthest place from Sweden, and Japan seemed interesting. My grandmother is probably half Swedish and half Japanese, so I had a connection.

I actually found it interesting when I came here, so I started studying Japanese after returning to Sweden from my trip.

-What was interesting about Japan?

"The culture, the people... I think it suits me in many ways.

I've always loved languages and linguistics, and I've studied Latin, Russian, and Italian, but I've never studied an Asian language.

I took the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology exam at the embassy and was able to study abroad for about a year, so I started modeling part-time while studying. After about two years, I got bored (laughs).

I wanted to create my own, rather than relying on concepts and images created by others. At that time, I had the opportunity to switch from an entertainment visa to a working visa, and I took that opportunity to join a company and start working.

It was a manufacturer with multiple brands, and I worked there in branding, photography, copywriting, translation, and more. After that, I came to Tokyo and gradually started focusing on photography."

- Did your work with a manufacturer lead you to photography?

“I started taking pictures of the scenery outside when I was about 13 or 14 years old with a camera my grandpa gave me.

I was self-taught, but I think I was heavily influenced by movies.

My family life was a bit unstable, so I wanted to escape into movies. From the age of about six or seven, I would lock myself in my room and watch a lot of movies. So I think that my perception of film framing and what is beautiful is unconsciously influenced by the movies I saw at the time.

I started to like movies because they calmed my mind. I hope I can give that same energy to other people."

-Have you ever thought about working in the film industry?

"When I thought about going to university, the tuition fees for filmmaking schools were high, and there weren't many women doing that kind of thing. Maybe I lacked confidence. But now I've started shooting videos too. There's no right or wrong. It's fine if you just do it. I'm now tackling things that I gave up on in the past.

So now I'm looking back on my life. To understand my parents, I'm thinking about why I became the person I am. COVID-19 was a factor, but it's also because I'm in my 30s .

Since his parents have passed away and he can't speak to them, he tries to communicate with them in his own mind and understand them.

I also learned that one's personality is shaped by the environment one is born into and the people around oneself.

 My values haven't changed, but I'm searching for nuances, for a path that suits me. And I realize that I'm constantly growing. For example, when I was a child, I was afraid of failure and often got frustrated with myself, but now I don't worry about it as much. I've become more forgiving (laughs)."

Although we didn't delve into it in depth in this interview, we also got a glimpse of the conflicts in Natalie's life. I felt that she must have chosen and sublimated those conflicts through dialogue with herself.

- Finally, can I ask you what it was like wearing Erni during the shoot?

"The material felt really good. Also, I thought it gave me a sense of freedom."

-You took the photos with Erni in mind, right?

"It's a flower, but with a soft image. A little abstract, yet feminine. I chose it based on my feeling. It's straightforward, but also feminine and beautiful."

-When do you take a picture?

" Maybe I don't think too deeply about it. When I look at something, I empty my mind and take the photo. I live by feeling rather than technique (laughs)."

Photos 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8: Photo by Nathalie Cantacuzino
Natalie's Instagram account is here