Anya Magoffin

Hello, my name is Anya! From an early age I spent many hours in museums, theaters and art galleries where I felt more at home than anywhere else. This and my parents taught me to connect to art in all its forms and truly appreciate the beauty of a human’s vision. My first degree was in Public Relations, which led me to my first job at the Russian Academy of Science. Although Academy of Science sounds like the least favorable work environment for a day dreaming creative and forever Pisces, it was exactly where I got to meet and to interact with some of the brightest and most talented scientists of our time. One of which was the Russian physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Zhores Alferov. The world of physics and astronomy was so foreign and mysterious to me, and although I didn’t speak its language I was able to intuitively connect with its precise beauty, order and harmony. Only years later did I realize how big of an impact that experience had on my perception and artistic vision. As a young girl I was consumed with unlimited possibilities of working with clay. I would spend hours at a time creating physical worlds out of my imagination, so detailed and real. As years passed by I found myself experimenting with drawing and paper collage. All till I got my hands on my father’s camera “Zenit” (bulky and intimidating as everything Soviet should be) it absolutely traumatized me but also left me fascinated with Photography. I was struck with the profound ability to capture the existing world through the lens of one’s focus and preserve that unique moment in time. To me Photography is a beautiful dance of science, creativity and magic. My creative vision has been formed through endless learning, day dreaming, soul exploration and travels, but mainly through the innate ability to see beauty in the ordinary. The intention I put behind each of my pieces is to remind myself and others of how unique and vulnerable we all are in this experience of being a human. That it is okay not to have all the answers, or have big feelings. That we are all one, seeking the light and relearning to see the beauty within and around us. #weareone