Artist Statement

As an immigrant, I am in perpetual search of a place that feels like home. I use Nature as a metaphor for this longing and the inherent complexities of the interior world. In a visceral, poetic way, I attempt to convey Nature’s role as a grounding element of belonging and a bridge between cultures and humanity. I see Nature as the first and most fundamental source of essence, spirit, and myth and I am inspired by both its beauty, and its fierceness. The emotional ramifications of my own diaspora relate to how I feel towards Nature; always in flux.

Site-specific work informs my practice. In preparing for a project, I often spend time immersed in a landscape, listening, contemplating and investigating. To achieve the sentiments I attempt to facilitate with dreamlike landscapes and ethereal abstractions, I employ tilt-shift lenses, makeshift filters, and in-camera multi-exposures. My fieldwork mirrors my studio practice as I weave luminous montages in post. I find gratification in the spontaneity of these creative processes and view my practice as a deepening of the seeing eye and an exercise of instinct and connectivity. The resulting images serve as a visceral interpretation of the ephemeral nature of the human experience and the environment.

Elena Lyakir, b. 1975, Ukraine

Raised in communist Ukraine and influenced by mysticism and nostalgia of Soviet cinema and literature, Lyakir developed a passion for photography as a young child. In 1990 she immigrated to rural U.S. with her family, seeking political asylum, and at 18 she arrived in New York City alone, impressionable and adrift. Inspired by the city’s creative vigor, she first tried to make ends meet by working as a model and photographer’s assistant. By the mid 90s she found herself immersed in the vibrant avant-garde scene of the Lower East Side and making art became her passion and purpose. She began experimenting with large format film cameras, printing processes and collage. Eventually she took photography and film courses yet her unorthodox approach to the medium and childhood experiences with oppressive authority compelled her to continue pursuing her practice by way of collaborations and independent studies.

Lyakir has had gallery exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Berlin, Paris, Avignon, Sydney, Istanbul, East Hampton and Sag Harbor as well as at la Maison de la Photographie, a museum in Lille, France dedicated to photography. Her work is held in private and corporate collections as well as public spaces, including Coca-Cola, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen, HBC Financial Group, the Omni and Hilton resorts, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Her image, The Final Unknown, is included in the renowned Your Daily Photograph collection of fine art photography. Lyakir’s work has had numerous mentions in publications, including ELLE Décor, Architectural Digest, Objekt, InStyle, Art Daily, Artsy, Art Fuse and Photographie au Feminin. She continues to produce commissions for art collectors, interiors and public spaces around the world, splitting her time between Brooklyn and southern Vermont.