IN CONVERSATION:
MAURICIO ZELAYA &
EVA-KARLOTTA TATAR
Mauricio Zelaya debuts Estonia, Elsewhere, a photography exhibition at Tallinn Design Festival. The project draws from his collaborations with Estonian talent across several cities. Ahead of the installation, Eva-Karlotta Tatar, Founder of KARLOTTA and Project Manager at Estonian Design House, joins Zelaya for a conversation about their personal connection, his approach to image-making, and the ideas that shaped the exhibition.
JAVI, KARLOTTA, MALAGA
2025
Eva-Karlotta Tatar We’re very excited to have you be a part of the Tallinn Design Festival this year. I’m excited to hear you talk about our connection, your process in image-making, and have a deeper insight into the curation of your exhibition with us.
Mauricio Zelaya Thank you for having me; it’s always a pleasure to work with you and the Estonian design team— I feel like family at this point.
ET Right, we feel like family… we are design family— but yes, family.
MZ I’m happy to be a part of this family, who understands and appreciates art and design along with hard work and the belief of sticking true to your passion.
HELENA, EKATERINA, TALLINN
2026
ET Is this your first exhibition or solo exhibition?
MZ I would like to say yes— definitely yes to this scale and showcase? I’ve had my work displayed in various places before, such as the gallery walls on the photo-department floor at FIT and the thesis group shows, a billboard in Times Square, and a window display wrapping for a contemporary art gallery I work with in New York City.
ET New York City. Where you are from and where we met.
MZ Yes. I can never forget the day I met you and how I just kept barging in your office, whipping up random conversation so I could get to know you— you and your big blue eyes.
ET I don’t even remember what we talked about.
MZ I don’t know either, but what I do know is how drawn I was to you. Perhaps it was the artistic energy— it’s in your blood, I mean, you had this design and leather-working background that I was fully unaware of at the time.
PAOLO, LUKS, NEW YORK CITY
2026
ET Right. It was my first time in New York, and I was quite shy.
MZ Shy people feel like an invitation to me.
ET You have that energy about you, funny and very chatty.
MZ Well, you have to be. Especially in New York. But it’s just a part of me. I like to meet new people and have conversations that could mean nothing, but there are some of those gems that turn into this, like us.
ET Exactly, us. It’s wild to see how far we’ve come. From working at a leather goods atelier together to now traveling the world and visiting each other in different cities. No matter where we go, you always want to work and push me to do the same.
MZ Right, which is how we keep each other inspired and working and meeting more people. It’s the energy you put out that gets circulated back.
ET Energy.
MZ Energy!
ET You have tapped into the Estonian energy.
MZ Well, it’s not too far off from my New York City energy, and especially not from my Latino roots. I give whatever I’m doing my all, which is, in many ways, how we landed here. I’ve been so grateful to experience Estonia and the festival over these past couple of years.
GRETE-LIISU, LUKS, TALLINN
2025
ET You have visited us in Estonia several times now—
MZ and I hope many more.
ET So how do you feel about Estonian design and people?
MZ I feel that Estonian design is unapologetic and futuristic, with this push and pull between the minimal and the loud. There’s a duality here that creates a certain tension. For example, there’s the designer Sandra Luks, whom I really admire and whose pieces I’ve photographed several times. Some of her pieces are minimal in construction but loud in their sustainability; others are loud in construction but quietly unapologetic because they’re so distinctly her vision, and she won’t conform to the norms. The same can be said for Karl-Christoph Rebane, another fashion designer whose work is loud, sustainable, and futuristic. And when it comes to you, I think we agree on the minimal side of things. We both like simple but impactful.
ET For sure, for sure. Explain more about the way you photograph.
MZ Ok, so I really prefer the studio over location, just because I have more control over my environment and the ambiance. You know me, I like to have a good time and always look for an excuse to party. I want my set to feel safe, distraction-free, and a fabulous time!
ET I get it. I see how you focus on set and keep track of everything and everyone. You play techno or house music, like at Tiki Disco.
MZ Tiki Disco! Yes.
ET That was a good time. We danced a lot. A Tiki Disco winter edition… we need that in Estonia.
MZ Let’s do another shoot and we can make that happen.
DANIEL, KARL-CHRISTOPH REBANE, TALLINN
2024
ET All this work you’ve made in relation to Estonia, how does it make you feel, and why do you think you’ve made so much?
MZ First of all, the designers—you, the Estonian Design Association, Estonian Design House, and model agencies like Vector—have been very generous to me. I’m just grateful to have been received with open arms and to have had the opportunity to continue exploring my artistic vision with the Estonian community across the board.
ET You say this to me like we have so much to offer, but I feel like it’s the opposite. New York City is so big and has talent like you.
MZ I guess so, but it’s not about a city’s reputation; it’s about the people in those cities. So, I’m just lucky to have found you.
ET Lucky to have found you.
MZ So, what now?
ET What’s your inspiration behind making your photos?
MZ I tend to use a very minimal light set-up, mostly one strobe bouncing off a white surface. I like the broadness and immediacy it gives. I want the light to feel all-encompassing or slightly directional.
ET You would think there’s more work that goes into your production based on the results.
MZ You can’t beat a simple set-up. It’s just me, the subject, and a light. I like to capture these in-between moments, using photography as a way to observe and understand. I explore identity, intimacy, and the quiet tension between performance and authenticity. It’s a mix of a model being a model— performing for the camera or clothes— and then the human side and their aura.
ANN, LENTSIUS, LUKS, ANNREAL, TORONTO
2026
ET Simple but impactful. How did you narrow down the images for this exhibition, “Estonia, Elsewhere”?
MZ I’ve shot so much over this period, and looking back through the work has made me feel incredibly proud and grateful. I can see more clearly now how my visual language and taste have developed through these collaborations. Editing the exhibition down was really about selecting the images that felt strongest and most representative of where I am in my practice so far. I wanted people to walk away feeling excited and curious about what we’ve created together—across cities and collaborations.
ET Collaboration, a key word in your work, I would say.
MZ Well, yes. I’m nothing without my team. The photographs I make are a direct reflection of the talent, energy, and effort of the people around me—the stylist, hair and makeup artist, model, designer, photo assistant, and everyone who contributes to the process. I’m very grateful for that. This is also why I’m drawn to working in the studio. The quality of the images ultimately comes from the people beside me, and from creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable, collaborative, and willing to have fun.
ET You always want to have fun!
MZ It’s crucial. If not, then what’s the point?
ET You remind me of that— always. Nothing is that important, and we have one life.
MZ Exactly. Where would we be if I didn’t want to have fun in your cute little office back in New York in 2021?
KITTY FLORENTINE, NEW YORK CITY
2025
SPECIAL THANKS
With gratitude to the Estonian designers, artists, stylists, models, creatives, and friends whose collaboration and friendship shaped this work.
Estonian Design House · Vector Management · Estonian Design Association · Tallinn Design Festival
And to everyone, in Estonia and elsewhere, who welcomed me, collaborated with me, and became part of this ongoing story.
Eva-Karlotta Tatar is the founder of KARLOTTA, a handbag brand based in Tallinn, focused on creating timeless accessories through a thoughtful, circular approach. She is also the project manager at Estonian Design House.
