Dogs have become our family members and furry babies. They are the representatives of wild nature inside our homes, but at the same time, they seem to be some kind of special humans. They behave like us, they are like us, but still, they are species of a different word.

The series One-Dog Policy contemplates the roles that we assign to dogs. The photos play with anthropomorphism, the habit of adding human characteristics to animals. The illusion of likeness leads to misinterpretation. Dogs take on human characteristics, they look guilty or depressed, laughing or blaming. They become imaginary persons.

Maija Astikainen (b. 1985) is a photographer based in Helsinki, Finland. She has studied BA and MA in Photography at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, and has worked with both commissioned and personal projects since 2008. In her personal work, she is interested in the relationship between human, nature and urbanism.