Dita Pepe: The Chameleon Queen of Portraiture

This is Dita Pepe. She’s the one in the bridal gown. However, this is not her wedding, and this is not her family. Dita is a Czech photographer who has captivated audiences with her ingenious self-portraits and unique storytelling through photography.

Moreover, the photographer manipulates her age, character, and social status, adapting to the people she photographs. Since 1999, she has created dozens of meticulously staged self-portraits, merging herself, and more recently her family, into the worlds of complete strangers. Here, she explains why she does it, how she achieves it, and what she has learned from entering into the lives of others.

The Journey of Self-Discovery through Photography

By email, she explains how it all started: “When I was about nineteen, I did not exactly know what to do with myself. At the age of 18, I ran away from home — I lived at my friend’s house. My schoolmates from the grammar school went to university, and I went to Germany to work as an au-pair…”

Searching for Inspiration

Dita reflects on her growth as an artist, stating, “Unconsciously, I was still looking for female ideals to inspire me. I took pictures of myself in different disguises. It was around 1999 when the first series of self-portraits came to light.”

The Art of Authenticity

For over 15 years, she has arranged to meet people and conduct photo-shoots. Each session is unique: “To reach certain authenticity, I dress in their clothes, use their personal belongings, and discuss their hairstyle, facial expression, typical poses, or gestures!”

The Experience of Transformation

“It is a very interesting experience, hard to describe verbally. I completely forget about myself,” Dita shares. “By using someone else’s clothes, I feel like I am dressing into someone else’s skin, changing my body odor.”