Interview with Maryna Gliebova
BIFA 2025 Winner, 1st Place, Professional Special, “Beyond The Surface”
Q: Beyond the Surface plays with perception, reflection, and identity. What inspired you to explore these ideas through a simple glass of water?
I’ve always been fascinated by how ordinary objects in the frame can carry an unexpected emotional weight. A simple glass of water is something we encounter every day, yet it can bend, distort, and reveal new layers of reality. The simplicity was the point: I wanted to show how complexity often lies hidden within the most familiar things. For me, it became a metaphor for identity — how we see ourselves, how others see us, and how easily the truth can shift with even the slightest change of angle
Q: The optical distortions create a surreal, painterly effect. How did you experiment with light and shadow to achieve this interplay between reality and illusion?
Although the final image looks quite surreal, the process behind it was surprisingly technical. The biggest challenge was that it’s a self-portrait — which means I had to shoot, model, adjust, and repeat… many, many times until everything aligned perfectly.
I worked with just one diffused, directional continuous light source. It allowed me to see the lighting pattern in real time on my iPad, where I mirrored my phone screen. That setup became my “third eye.”
From there, it was all about micro-movements. I slowly shifted under different angles, watching how the light and reflections changed inside the glass until the distortion created exactly the effect I wanted. It was a mix of patience, precision, and a bit of graceful trial-and-error — the glamorous reality of self-portraiture
Q: How does your personal perspective or life experience influence the way you approach these introspective, conceptual works?
Much of my work grows out of transition — immigration, reinvention, the constant process of rediscovering who I am in a new place and a new culture. When life shifts, your inner landscape shifts with it.
I think that’s why I’m drawn to themes of fragmentation, reflection, and identity. They mirror my own experience of learning to trust uncertainty, of finding beauty in being in-between. These photographs become a quiet dialogue with myself — a way to translate emotions that often lack language.
Q: Being recognized as Special Photographer of the Year at BIFA — what does this acknowledgment mean to you as an artist?
It’s incredibly meaningful. Awards don’t define the work, but they can illuminate it — they show that the visual language I’m building resonates beyond my own studio.
For me, this recognition is a moment of connection. It tells me that the themes I explore — vulnerability, perception, identity — resonate with people all around the world. And that’s one of the most powerful things art can do: extend a hand and say, “I’ve felt this too.”
Q: Looking ahead, are there other experimental techniques or ideas you’re excited to explore in future projects?
I’m currently working on a long-term project called Inner Silence, which explores the connection between photographer and subject on a purely sensory, emotional level. After an initial conversation, the entire session happens in complete silence — no posing cues, no verbal interaction, just presence.
This environment changes everything: people soften, their gestures become instinctive, and their inner world naturally rises to the surface. Participants often tell me they experience a surprising sense of calm and an almost meditative internal quiet — something they rarely feel in daily life.
For me, this approach allows a more honest form of portraiture. It reveals emotional truth without interruption, and that’s the direction I feel most inspired to keep exploring in my future work.