Julia Ivashkina is a Paris-based photographer who explores, through her work, the dialogue and relationship between the body and ceramics. In our conversation, Julia shares how working with ceramics allows her to present the body as something physical, emotional, and deeply connected to the earth.

Repose: How would you describe what you do?

Julia: I have been a photographer for almost 15 years. I am creating images and feelings. I started in fashion photography, focusing on simply creating beautiful images of models and clothing- which was my first biggest passion in life.

Over time, my interests are growing and today, I still create images as well, but more through my personal changes and reflections. I explore themes like the personal portraits, body, objects, lines and texture through photography.

Repose: What led you to start a personal project?

Julia: As I grew personally through the years, I became less interested in fashion alone, because fashion has its own limits and rules, and also is very “fast going”. So I felt the need to express something more personal and honest (to myself) and more grounded and timeless (I found it in a work with clay/ceramic).

I want to tell my own story and explore my inner world. That is what a personal project could give me. The freedom to create without restrictions and to express deeper emotions and my ideas.

Repose: How did the idea for this project come about?

Julia: Speaking about the upcoming exhibition, it came for me very naturally, as if it was always here. “The body” theme has been a red line in my photography since the beginning. I showed it even in my fashion works, but just turned it into something more personal now.

I can say that I experience life through my body, through sensations and awareness. It is my way to feel life. And I wonder if I could show that in my photography.

With this project, I explore the body through lines, textures, and forms, using both photography and ceramic objects.  A very important idea for me is the connection between the body and nature. In La terre, I explore this through organic forms and ceramic elements, which bring the work closer to the earth. Working with ceramics added a new physical dimension to the project: allowing me to show the body as something physical, emotional, and deeply connected to the earth.

Repose: What challenges did you face when starting the project or trying to make a living from creativity?

Julia: One of the biggest challenges when starting a personal project is bringing it to a point where it truly reflects your original idea. It takes time and lots of patience.

The second one, personally, is that over the years my own body has changed in many ways. I became a mom, which also influenced both my art and my personal vision of the ‘body.’

Repose: Do you face any challenges when communicating your project? Which ones?

Julia: Yes, speaking about the body can be challenging because it is a very personal and sensitive subject. Everyone has their own experiences and feelings about “the body”.

Repose: What would you tell the person you were when you started this project?

Julia: I would tell myself to dive deeper without fear and to trust my intuition.

Repose: What excites you most about your current project and the future?

Julia: The freedom to explore new forms and materials. Combining photography and ceramic objects opened a new direction in my practice. I am excited to see this dialogue between image, body and ceramics.

Repose Archive is a creative direction journal documenting processes and projects across art, design, architecture, and hospitality. As designers, we interview creative minds and explore their creations.  Photography credits:  Julia Ivashkina