Enchanted Journeys of Desire

I create magical realism photographs that portray a desire for change and a longing for a better life. Often working through carefully constructed self-portraiture, I create surreal images of feminine figures interacting with landscapes and interiors in ways that challenge logic and physics.

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As a Russian artist living in Canada, I am deeply sensitive to the injustices and instability of contemporary life. The erosion of human rights, wars, femicide, displacement, and ecocide translate into a recurring desire in my work: the desire to be free and fully oneself without fear of judgment or persecution.

 

Rather than approaching these themes literally, I recreate emotional states of struggle, escape, desire, and transformation through symbolic imagery. Landscapes and interiors become secondary characters that enter into dialogue with the subjects.

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Predominantly working alone, I construct photographs in practical environments through movement and natural forces like wind and water to create painterly, cinematic photographs that invite viewers to project their own emotions and experiences into the work.

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Ongoing series

2013-present

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Limited editions of archival quality prints are available -  email to ​info@nikabelianina.com