Swedish furniture mega-chain Ikea announced its first artist-in-residence earlier this year – the surprise pick was (drum roll) acclaimed American photographer Annie Leibovitz who will travel to the UK, Japan, the US this year. States, Germany, Italy, India and Sweden, capturing normal people doing normal things in normal homes. “She will create a series of 25 portraits that illuminate the nuances of ‘home life’, creating a powerful photographic document inspired by the Home Life Report [Ikea’s survey of 37,000 people across 37 countries]“Said a press release from Ikea. Leibovitz revealed the motivations behind the project of Wallpaper magazine, saying, “I learned early on in my portrait work that you should start with your subject at home because they’re going to sit in a chair a certain way. You will see who they are at home. On some level, our homes are mirrors to ourselves,” says with a touch of candor. “Just as there has been a typical idea in the fashion industry about how tall a woman should be, there has been a typical idea of what a house is,” he adds. -She. Makes a refreshing change from the A-list celebrities she usually captures on camera.
