Hello!
My name is Iryna — I am a photographer and costume artist creating unique visual stories through staged photography.
My work is about helping you discover new facets of yourself, try on unexpected personas, and immerse yourself in the world of artistic transformation.Each photoshoot is a journey into a realm of fairy tales and symbols, where you become the heroine of your own story.
I invite you to experience the magic of transformation and see yourself through the eyes of art.Book a session — and together, let’s create an image that tells your unique story.
Honors & Awards
Honorable Mention — NFFF, Scandinavian International Exhibition of Photography 2025 (FIAP 2025/072)
Shortlisted — Global Peace Photo Award 2024
View on official website: globalpeacephotoaward.org — Shortlist 2024
Swedish International Exhibition of Photography 2025 (FIAP 2025/058)
Refugees — awarded an ISF Honourable Mention in the Open Color section.
Included in the official catalogue of the exhibition.
Exhibitions
Participated in exhibitions and competitions in Kiev and Donetsk.
Solo exhibitions:
2025 Personal exhibition in Gothenburg (ADA-Formcenter Väst)
2025 Personal exhibition in Gothenburg (Blå Stället)
2022 Personal exhibition in Sollebrunn
2023 Personal exhibition in Alingsås
Participant of exhibitions:
2024 Anniversary exhibition CFF 25 years, Stockholm
2024 Salong CFF 2024, Gothenburg (ADA-Formcenter Väst)
2024 Alingsås fotoklubb 80 år, Alingsås
2024 Konstkollektivet 10år, Mölndal
2024 “843–857”, Gothenburg (Konstnärscentrum Väst)
2024 “UArt soul”, Gothenburg
2024 “Poster exhibition”, Gothenburg (Creators Connect)
2024 “Venus Transit”, Gothenburg
2024 Stampens Kvarn, Alingsås (Alingsås Fotoklubb)
2024 “By the Sea”, Gothenburg (Göteborgsbildverkstad, CFF)
2024 Skissernas Rum, Gothenburg (Konstnärscentrum Väst)
2023 “Poster exhibition”, Ulricehamn (Creators Connect)
2022 “By the Sea”, Gothenburg (Göteborgsbildverkstad, CFF)
2022 “Window”, Stockholm (CFF)
Published in magazines and online publications.
2025 Personal exhibition in Gothenburg (ADA-Formcenter Väst)
2025 Personal exhibition in Gothenburg (Blå Stället)
2023 Personal exhibition in Alingsås
2024 “843–857”, Gothenburg
(Konstnärscentrum Väst)
2024 Alingsås fotoklubb 80 år, Alingsås
Interviews
Interview for the project “A Different Perspective”
“In Search of Light: The Artist’s Journey from Donetsk to Sweden — Iryna Bavina”
About my photos
I am an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of photographic art and costume design.
For me, photography is not merely about capturing reality, but about creating a space for visual poetry, symbolic narrative, and conceptual analysis.
My projects synthesize principles of both classical and contemporary art: from the classical tradition, I draw a pursuit of harmony, clarity of composition, plastic expressiveness, and mythopoetic storytelling; from contemporary art, I adopt an exploratory approach, a focus on layered meanings, critical thinking, and a strong interest in context.
This dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity allows me to form a visual language where aesthetics serve not only form but meaning as well.
At the heart of my work are three key themes, which I explore through photography and costume:
- Femininity as Power. My art asserts a new form of female identity—independent, integrated, and multifaceted. I explore femininity as a force no longer defined in opposition to masculine experience. Softness, empathy, creativity, and inner resilience become natural sources of influence. Through my work, I build a new subjectivity—free from outdated models of struggle, oriented towards creation rather than imitation.
- Invisible Social Structures. In my work, I address social issues related to implicit and hidden systems of power and culture. These structures often remain invisible at first glance, but I strive to reveal their presence through images and symbols, showing their impact on daily life and the inner world of the individual.
- Archetypes and fairy tales. I incorporate fairy tale motifs and mythological imagery, creating both tender and touching as well as mystical narratives, where each frame becomes a small theater. These images create an atmosphere where contemporary reality intertwines with timeless themes. As in any myth or fairy tale, I aim to convey simple yet profound morals that reflect on human nature, its fears and hopes, and its relationship to the mysterious and the unknown.
As both an artist and a costume designer, I create costumes and props that become integral parts of storytelling. Each element in the frame is not merely a decoration, but a tool for expressing an idea, a symbol, or a mood.
Post-processing in Photoshop is an essential part of my artistic process, where photography is transformed into its final symbolic and multilayered form.In my practice, I strive to create spaces where viewers can not only admire aesthetic beauty but also engage in deep reflection on meaning, culture, and the human condition.
My art is an invitation to dialogue, to a rethinking of familiar images and stereotypes, where each photograph carries both visual allure and conceptual depth.
I believe that art holds the power to shift perception, expand horizons, and awaken emotions that stay with us long after the moment of viewing.
About me
I have a master’s degree in costume design. In my city Donetsk, I had my own business, a costume rental business. I sewed many beautiful dresses. These were costumes with different themes: historical, carnival, fairy tale, retro costumes.
But in 2014, everything changed. The war came to my city.
And life became very difficult. It became very difficult to earn money. There were no customers, no orders. All I had was a large collection of beautiful dresses that no one needed.
Then I started gathering people for creative projects. We who met were photographers, make-up artists, models and we created cool photo shoots. We did everything for free. Just to create aesthetic images.
During this time I made many new friends. We did something new for ourselves, we developed together. Sometimes I brought my first simple camera to shoot with other photographers. Gradually, I became not only an organizer and costume designer, but also a photographer. I had no plan for it. I just wanted to show off my beautiful dresses. But I became very interested in it and became a photographer.
And now photography has become an important part of my life.
In 2022 my life was changed by war again. Ma daughter and I were forced to leave for Sweden. Now we are starting a new page of our life.
