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.

She writes: “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, mythopoetic 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 nourishment, as well as its unpredictability and 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. The resulting images serve as a visceral interpretation of the ephemeral nature of the human experience and the environment.”

Lyakir has exhibited in galleries and art fairs in New York, Los Angeles, East Hampton, Miami, London, Berlin, Paris, Avignon, Sydney, and Istanbul and has had an extensive museum exhibition at la Maison de la Photographie in Lille, France. Her work resides in private and corporate collections as well as public spaces, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchen, HBC Financial Group, the Omni Group resorts, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Her 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 interior designers, public spaces, and art collectors around the world, splitting her time between her Brooklyn and southern Vermont studios.

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Elena Lyakir