Echoes of Self by Yulia Shybirkina
Leap is honored to present a curated collaboration with Ukrainian photographer Yulia Shybirkina.
The collection of black and white photography by the Ukrainian artist Yulia Shybirkina presents nine photographs and one video. The focal point is an exploration of personal identity, narrated through a series of experimental and meticulously crafted self-portraits, as well as a portrait of her beloved sister. This creates another dimension to the narrative, one that tells the story about belonging, loss and intricacies of family bonds.
Drawing from her native heritage and the backdrop of her country’s ongoing conflicts, Shybirkina’s work outlines the complexities of human experience with a raw authenticity.
Through deliberate manipulation and a focus on texture and contrast in her images, she creates a narrative that tells personal stories with profound vulnerability. Each image can also be seen as a mirror, inviting viewers to confront their own inner dialogues and untold stories.
Shybirkina also uses writing in different forms alongside her photographic work, something that creates yet another dimension to it. Each one of the images in the collection juxtaposes a piece of writing; it can be a short essay, sometimes poetry, another time diary-like scribbling.
Biography
Yulia earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Faculty of Art and Graphics at the Odessa Academy of Architecture and Construction. Her works have been featured and sold internationally, and her photographs have been used as cover art by several musicians. More recently, she has become active in the new digital art arena by migrating her photographs onto the blockchain.
At the age of 33, Yulia turned to photography, which has since become the primary focus of her art. Her artistic process often involves manipulated images to enhance dramatic effects and textures, emphasizing the overall raw contrasts in her black-and-white compositions.
Yulia draws significant inspiration from early twentieth-century photographers, particularly Alfred Stieglitz, whose work she credits with influencing her focus on everyday subjects captured in a reflective and heartfelt manner.
Her portfolio primarily features self-portraits and botanical themes, showing a meticulous study of form and shadow. This approach does not present a singular concept but is rather part of an ongoing artistic practice through which Yulia navigates her emotions and mental landscape.
Selected exhibitions and projects:
2024:
2nd Via Carpatia Biennale at IMO Galeria Stary Sacz, Poland. The video and photo project, titled ”Idea of Life,” was inspired by Czesław Miłosz’s poem ”Song about the End of the World.” Also shown as a group exhibition in Manhattan, New York.
2023:
The Ukrainian project ”Two Thousand Yard Stare” – a catalog of contemporary reflective art depicting the full-scale war. Included works are ”Gareley Neotodresh” and ”14-8-22” photography.
Exhibition of works by Ukrainian artists in the 17 largest cities in Germany from February 24 to May 28, 2023, serving as a reminder that Ukraine continues to fight for its independence against Russia.
The East/West photo salon, with the online display of the project ”Reflections of the War” at Kyivphotos – Hall Kyiv.
Participant in the project ”Concentration of Will”; the work was presented at the Center for Contemporary Art M17 among the works of 48 contemporary Ukrainian and international artists.
Selected by the talents of FRESH EYES 2023, organized by GUP magazine. Participation in the Haute Photographie Boutique photography fair, Haute Photographie Amsterdam, from September 20–24.
2022:
Participation in the group exhibition of Ukrainian artists, ”Fata Morgana,” at the Odessa Museum of Western and Oriental Art.
Participant in the international project ”Kasania” at the Klenyk Ethnographic Museum, Slovenia.
Participant in the European Digital Art Fair, presented in the Art Spaceship pavilion.
Participant in the Ukrainian organization of women photographers; a photo collection made by Ukrainian women to help the Ukrainian people resist Russian aggression and its consequences. All funds raised were directed to the needs of Ukrainians who stand for world peace.
Participant in the international project ”Share, Tag, or Dye Show” in Bucharest, Romania. The performance was included in the video archive of LET THE BODY SPEAK, documenting the somatic experiences and visual evidence of the processes occurring in the body after February 24, 2022.
Participant in the digital exhibition DSL VR Space | Ukrainian pavilion.
2021:
Participant in the group exhibition ”Ukrainian Collage” at Book Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine.
2020:
Participant in the group exhibition at the International online photo exhibition Photo Kyiv, Ukraine.
2015-2023:
Artistic practice related to graphic techniques and experimental art photography. Created art objects and published content online under the author’s hashtag #miraclegraphicarts.