Alisa Karin
Meet Alisa Karin, an artist who transforms photography into a vivid narrative. Alisa's work is a dynamic interplay of raw emotion and striking visual storytelling. Each photo she takes is a journey into the heart of her experiences, challenging perceptions and inviting viewers into her unique world. In this feature, we delve into Alisa's creative universe, exploring the inspirations and passions that drive her distinctive style in the ever-evolving landscape of modern photography.
Your art seamlessly blends life experiences with creativity. How has this shaped your artistic identity?
I am a highly emotional and sensitive person, a trait that has characterized me throughout my life. I've always struggled to express my emotions in conversations. Therefore, whenever I encountered difficult situations, I dealt with them in isolation. I've accumulated numerous life experiences that I haven't shared with anyone simply because I couldn't find someone to talk to about them. The fear that nobody would understand my soul and mind intensified over time until I realized that verbal communication and sharing were not my preferred methods of coping with my thoughts. Art extended its helping hand and ushered me into the world I had always longed for - a realm distant from our own. In this alternate reality, I experience a sense of well-being, normalcy, and love. Now, living in this different place, I connect with the real world through photos. Think of it as a doorway into my mind - a way for my inner world to talk to the outside one visually.
What inspired you to explore photography as your primary medium?
The ability to paint with light.
Could you describe a pivotal moment that significantly impacted your artistic direction?
The pandemic, for sure. This was the time when everything changed for me. I believe I have undergone a significant metamorphosis. During the lockdown, I left the city and stayed in the countryside. Initially, I thought I would be there for a month or so, but it gradually extended to a year. To provide a bit more context, this is my grandparents' house—the place where my dad grew up, and subsequently, where my sister and I grew up. For me, the year spent alone in the attic of our spacious house, surrounded by nature, stars, woods, and endless fields, alongside animals and kind people, marked a pivotal moment. It was like my mind had erased everything I was and everything I believed in before that and I had a blank canvas in front of me. I only had to take the brush and start painting my life the way I imagined it. For the first time in my life, I was painting with excitement, love, care, and passion. I had my old camera with me, and I began capturing anything that caught my interest. It became somewhat like a drug. I started shooting and editing every day, even when I lacked ideas or motivation. Eventually, something meaningful would emerge. There's this Tame Impala song - "Let It Happen" (the full version). If you listen closely the music paints the process of metamorphosis. It's brilliant. That's how it felt.
Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?
One of my most significant influences would undoubtedly be Alejandro Jodorowsky and his art. Ever since I learned about him, I began studying his work and mind. I purchased his book, "The Dance of Reality: A Psychomagical Autobiography," and it completely shifted me into another world, fostering a belief in everything and nothing simultaneously. It convinced me that an artist should have the ability to create worlds, perform magic, manipulate time, be both brutal and sensual, raw and authentic. I don't wish to inhabit a world crafted by someone else; I aspire to create my own.
How do you approach storytelling through your visual art?
I don’t know if that is explainable to me too. I’d be happy to know the answer to that question too, but unfortunately, all I have in my mind right now is “It just happens.” You see, it’s an emotion, an impulse. When I am creating simply for myself, I am having fun with my mind, and whatever story wants to come out, I just let it. It’s very different when I am working for a client. In that case, it’s usually a couple of minds working towards creating something mutual. Then, I am trying to grow a pair or two of eyes and combine all of our visions and turn them into a photo. I love experimenting with light, colors, and facial expressions.
What's the most unexpected source of inspiration you've encountered?
Oh, I have so many. Aliens, the cosmos, death, ghosts, supernatural and a lot of other stuff I prefer not to say. It’s still not the time for everyone to think I am crazy. The moment will come, but it’s not here yet, haha.
Discuss a technique or style you've recently experimented with.
Hmm. Very recently, I started studying a new degree, and in the past month, our focus has mainly been on colors and composition. We delved into various color compositions, explored "hidden gems" in color grading, and learned how to incorporate them into our work. Since then, I've been experimenting with how to use colors in styling a photoshoot and subsequently color grading an image. It's a lot of fun and incredibly exciting for me.
How do you balance the technical and emotional aspects in your photography?
I must say it's very challenging to nurture a vision in your mind for an extended period, allowing it to grow, evolve, and develop an emotional connection before attempting to bring it to life and materialize it. I believe that's why adaptability is a crucial quality for an artist. I am learning to adapt like a chameleon. In each subsequent project, there may be different equipment, lighting, assistance, models, mindsets, preparations, time, and so on. I strive not to rely solely on these factors for my photoshoots but to adapt based on what I have at my disposal. Therefore, my primary focus is always on the emotion, considering how I can portray it with whatever equipment is available to me. Of course, the retouching phase follows, which, for me, represents a distinct aspect of art and communication.
What's your process for capturing the essence of a moment or emotion in your work?
I never used to contemplate this process, but now that I do, my primary goal when working with a model is to capture their personality, emotions, and raw selves. I am usually shooting continuously on photoshoot days. In the end, I have thousands of photos, and I often find myself wondering HOW and when I managed to take so many. I always end up selecting shots that were “unexpected”.
How do you see your art evolving over the next few years?
Gosh...I have no idea. I have taken on so many things at the moment that I don’t even know if I can picture myself a week from now, haha. I am definitely becoming braver in expressing myself, and I don’t fear rejection. This may lead to two things: being the first photographer to do a photoshoot on Mars or living the life of a Balzac’s character. The problem is I find both extremely romantic.
What advice would you give to artists trying to find their unique voice?
Create every moment you get. Create in your sleep, at your work desk, at the club, on the toilet and so on. Free your mind from barriers, stop signs, worries if you are good enough, comparison, etc. I know it’s hard. These thoughts haunt me too sometimes. It’s inevitable. Find your mentors and look up to them. Stop following people that you don’t care about on social media and start experiencing your own. Be brutally honest. Let whatever is hidden in your soul come out. And push yourself to your limits. Never stop learning. If you have this impulse within you, it should be destroying you from the inside if you are not directing it into creating. And allow yourself to think, feel and experience life differently than others. Oh, and be a little delusional.
Looking forward, what new themes or concepts are you eager to explore?
I will definitely think about doing a photoshoot on Mars. But an underwater fashion world would be cool too. So whoever wants to do an underwater photoshoot with me should definitely send me a message in a bottle!
Alisa Karin's World Through a Lens
“The year 2023 was like stepping out of a protective bubble I had built around myself in the past. It was tough, challenging, and uncomfortable, but I discovered that the key is to smile through it all. Keeping a positive outlook turned out to be my sanity-saving strategy in the midst of life's ups and downs.”
“Love is all around us, but there's a particular kind of love that has shaped my world. I hold a profound, unconditional love for the place where my roots are planted - the land of my ancestors, the house they built with their own hands, and the nature that envelops me. This place, along with everything that formed my foundations and penned the initial words of my life story, allows me to be true to myself. It's a space that lets me be unanticipated, wild, free, and emotional - a space where I can embrace my humanity…And an extraordinary Aquarius man.”
“Life lately kinda looks like a mirror. This year has helped me view life as if I'm gazing into a mirror - where the reflection is instant, with no pauses, no leaping into the future, and no retreating into the past. It's all about this precise moment. The mirror is teaching me to perceive and embrace life just as it is right now because our existence is confined to that very moment.”
“Discovery for me lies in digging deeply within yourself. For example, I am a person who cries a lot, and I used to perceive this as a bad and unstable trait. Then, I began to ponder. Why should crying be considered bad? Couldn't it be just a normal cleansing process? Water is associated with purifying, washing out, cleaning, and finding balance. So, I discovered for myself that whenever I am crying, I am doing exactly this—I am washing out all the dirt from my heart, mind, and soul, much like when you're cleaning your food, for example. ;)”
“The transformation of my art occurred when I realized there are two Alices that love to play with each other. One lives her everyday life with all the mundane things, and the other emerges when she's in her element. With time, it becomes more challenging to control them, and they often merge. So now, I don't really try to stop them. After all, they both share one life; I might as well listen to both of them and start creating art even while doing the laundry.”
“Harmony feels like the calmness of the soul. I find a profound harmony in both isolation and the sea. When I need to give my mind and soul a break and find peace, I turn to this.”
