Lena Konstantakou
Celebrating the Ordinary
The magic tree, 2018
The Art of Simple Living
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“An ideal, fantastic world exists within me that guides my instinct and intuition, and reflects upon my photography. In this idealised world, elements of the urban and the natural peacefully coexist and find place in my image making. My aim is to create a new reality, a world in which I invite the viewer to experience through my eyes and vision. I want to invoke feelings of safety, fulfilment and inspiration. To seek distraction, relief from reality, engage in fantasy - to escape. Simple living is the vehicle.”
Lena Konstantakou’s ethereal photographs explore the intuitive connection between habitat, existence and wellbeing. With a body of work that has been shaped organically over time, Lena demonstrates a holistic approach to image making – the artist, her environment the viewer all interconnected. Drawing upon the concept of ‘Simple Living’, she captures imagery that signifies the importance of serenity, contentment and joy; a celebration of an ordinary life. It is this search of that golden ratio ( ̔φ ̓; in Greek: χρυσή τομή), the divine proportion between life being creative and practical, and therefore balanced, that drives her photographic practice. |
When I grow up, 2019
Winter swimmer, 2018
Tropical, 2019
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The love tree, 2019
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"What I dream of is an art of balance,’ of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." Henri Matisse |
Golden sea, 2016
Four golden rocks, 2014
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Within Lena’s golden-hued landscapes and enigmatic figures, the rustic details of the Mediterranean flora and fauna are used to investigate the possibility that somewhere between the borders of the urban and the natural exists a contemporary sublime. The camera becomes a spotlight on the ordinary, amplifying in opulent texture and detail the fleeting sights of everyday life that can easily go unnoticed. Photographing in natural light and mostly in colour, Lena intuitively seeks to capture colour cues that transmit emotional information. Green and yellow, predominant colours in her work, evoke feelings of optimism and peacefulness, whilst adding a dream-like aesthetic. This is achieved by striving to photograph before the sun sets, when the light is warm and soft. These ‘caught moments’, share qualities of still-life, capturing nature in a mediative fashion, inviting for subtle observation and allowing the viewer to make connections between elements. |
Swan rock, 2019
A beautiful rainy day, 2017
Jewels of light, 2019
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All images © Lena Konstantakou
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Bio
Born and raised in Athens, Lena completed her Art & Design studies in the United Kingdom before moving on to work, first as a commercial photographer specialising in Fashion and Sports and then as an editorial designer and Art Editor in the editorial and commercial departments of reputable magazine and newspaper publications in London, such as the Daily Telegraph. A trip to Cuba fuelled her desire to start photographing within a fine art context. Since then, her photographs have evolved around the notion of how our environments and nature interfere and influence our emotional state. The images invoke beauty in careful composition, be it in serene landscapes or habitual spaces, reflecting upon a humble yet powerful subject matter, that of ‘Simple Living’.
lenakstudio.com
lenakstudio.com