Beauty, elegance, and femininity define the work of this photographer and former model through her very aesthetic, luminous and colorful choices.
“The woman is meant to be celebrated; the muse is feminine. I want my models to be beautiful and elegant, no matter what look I’m going for.” Elena Iv-skaya’s strength and energy is evident in her photographic compositions that move the eye.
Originally from Russia, this former model has become a fashion, luxury, and design photographer.
Initially based on the island of Reunion, where she drew her inspiration from bright colors, tropical elements, and paradisiacal settings, she now lives in Geneva, Switzerland.
For the past ten years, she has been experimenting with her own creative vision behind the lens, creating an innate and sensitive bond with her models, whom she transforms into modern women.
If the influence of Guy Bourdin and Norman Parkinson, her favorite photographers, is prevalent, that of Franco Rubartelli is not far away either.
Neither is the imagery of the 1980s, made up of sun, beach, and cocktails. But more than that, there is a disturbing evocation of well-known faces from the world of modelling, such as Anna Nicole Smith, Christy Turlington, and Alek Wek
Heavenly creatures
This self-taught photographer virtuously reappropriates styles and eras by injecting a very personal touch and look.
Her rich and careful color palette, combined with her polished, harmonious, and very haute couture shots, elevate some of her pictures towards painting. She says she adores David Hockney, René Magritte, Henri Matisse, and Paul Gauguin. “My work process is quite spontaneous,” she explains on the Lumas website. “Often, I already have an idea of what I want to do, but it doesn’t materialize until I start shooting. I just need to have a wide enough palette of props at my disposal during the tests to reproduce the color schemes and graphic compositions that characterize my work.”
Her ideal of beauty and art of living has caught the eye of many brands (Les Georgettes by Altesse, Qeeboo, Lalique) and international publications (Schon, Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel). Elena Iv-Skaya’s stylized and minimalist universe is a sublime exchange of creativity, femininity, emotion, and freedom.
Nathalie Dassa