The Queen of Red Peppers is the ongoing self-portrait series of photographs that Arandelovic started in 2012. Since 2012 she has been creating the same scenes in which she is looking directly at the camera (and thus the viewer). All of the photographs are produced at the same time of the year in the same place. It is always September or October, the time of the year when women in the south of Serbia traditionally prepare peppers for the winter, to make a traditional Serbian dish called ajvar. The last part of the series will be photographed in September 2020. The parts are divided by year, and smaller series have been made as part of a major project.
In this visual autobiography Arandelovic documents herself with red peppers that become ajvar the very next day. “My mother still makes ajvar every year at the same time, as did her mother, as do all other women. Being a good obedient woman who makes ajvar every year at the same time is something never called into question.” This series is deeply personal and has been made in some vulnerable moments. The period from 2012 to 2019 covers a journey, constantly on the road living the life of a nomad. This journey is both physical and emotional.
Arandelovic does not recycle emotions and feelings in this autobiographical narrative. The subject of this intimate work and unique aesthetic is the poetic notion of change. The place is the same, but she will never be the same person again. She has achieved this by using the same spot each year to shoot the scene, dressed in the same red dress. This candid self-portraiture series on a default blank background in neutral light colors does not initially reveal any inner dramas. What the observer sees is a beautiful woman showing emotion, though not at first glance. You need to pay attention to find out more about her inner fears and longings. The images are a thought-provoking interplay between the observer and the subject, the woman holding the red peppers that are surrounding her.
The fantasy of happiness is combined with positive melancholy. Her feminine beauty is not the highest priority but rather her connection to the peppers she is holding, playing with or looking at. The spectrum of colors is limited. The scene is a mix of reality, dreams, fears, and fantasies. The peppers are real and timeless. Arandelovic’s The Queen of Red Peppers pays homage to all of the women in her family.