Timeless Poetry: The Captivating Photography of Maria Elena Bonet
Dancing with Reality: The Enchanting World of Maria Elena Bonet
For years, I’ve been spellbound by the work of Belarusian artist and photographer Maria Elena Bonet. Her creations transcend simple description; they are profound, enigmatic, and metaphorical, concealed within seemingly straightforward and familiar images. But who is the woman behind these captivating works? What is Maria Elena truly like? Until now, I could only speculate…
A Life Interwoven with Art
I had the honor of interviewing Maria Elena about her life and art. She revealed, “I don’t separate life and art; for me, they are inseparable. How can I distinguish between them when creativity is my path? Since childhood, I’ve quenched my thirst for knowledge through art. It’s a necessity, an instinctive process. It’s my perception of the world, through which metaphors are born, and I express them in my work. It’s a constant interaction: my questions to the world, to myself, and my responses to the external, to beauty, to what truly moves me. Through metaphors, through the language of poetry, it’s easier for me to understand ‘what is happening’ and to share with others. You can separate life and art if art is the goal, but for me, art is the ‘bridge.'”
A Sensory Self-Portrait
When asked to describe herself through sounds, shades, and smells, Maria Elena confessed, “I’ve always struggled with self-description. I get lost in such questions because I’m in constant motion, change. Each morning is a new birth: sometimes a forest, sometimes a stone, sometimes water… Sometimes, these rebirths emotionally exhaust me, but it’s all due to the diversity of the world through which I constantly discover something new within myself. It’s a natural, uncontrollable process. I am an artist. I continuously ‘touch’ this world, dance with it; it reflects in me, and I in it. Amazing journeys.”
She continued, “There is a core that remains unchanged, and that core is the desire to ‘come true.’ For me, the question ‘who am I?’ is more important than ‘what am I like?’ Each person is an inexhaustible depth. An abyss. A mystery. A person is defined by their true desire.”
Maria Elena shared some of the colors, smells, and sounds that resonate with her at this time:
- Colors: Shades of the night forest, dark emerald in blue, blueberry, the color of tanned skin, amber-green, pale pink.
- Smells: The scent of greenery after a heavy downpour in the heat; the smell of river water combined with wild mint and thyme, wormwood, jasmine, the smell of wind at the end of August.
- Sounds: Piano, cello.
Influences and Inspirations
When asked about the photographers, artists, poets, and films that have influenced her work, Maria Elena said, “I want to mention a recent discovery that has greatly influenced my life: Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy.’ It’s hard to put into words the full extent of the impact of this work, but in short: it’s a guide to life. A man who lived 700 years ago knows me better than my mother, reaches out to me, talks to me, turns me towards himself, guides me through life.”
She also mentioned figures whose works she turns to as a life necessity: Antony of Sourozh in literature, Gauguin and Rembrandt in painting, and Bach in music. “For me, they are open sources, conductors who speak, it seems to me, in the language of the eternal,” she explained.
Maria Elena also shared her admiration for Marina Tsvetaeva, Joseph Brodsky, Mary Oliver, Anton Chekhov, Arseny Tarkovsky, J.R.R. Tolkien, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Velimir Khlebnikov. She also enjoys the films of Krzysztof Kieślowski, the paintings of Mikhail Vrubel, and the photographs of Sally Mann.
Beyond Photography
Maria Elena’s journey in the arts began with a choice between theatrical and artistic faculties. She ultimately studied design and became a graphic designer. However, she soon realized that this was not enough. “I don’t do commercial photography; I don’t shoot on demand. Of course, I master the technology of photography, but I can hardly call myself a pure photographer. There are many variables in my works, so I am rather an artist. And the scope of my interests is quite extensive, as are the tools for my statements,” she said.
She has also explored cinema and theater, where different types of art intersect. Recently, she illustrated the book “Ki, My Dear Ki,” a touching story written by Zoya Kenko. Additionally, she has been working with alternative author techniques of manual photographic printing, such as gum bichromate process, tin process, cyanotype, and classic gelatin-silver photography.
Embracing the Night
Maria Elena shared her love for the early morning, late evening, and night. “But most of all, I love the night. For the feeling of timelessness. At night, I can’t say ‘today,’ as if it has already ended and not yet begun. A similar feeling overcomes me on a train: when at some point you forget where you came from and where you are going, you see your static reflection in the glass, and behind it, a rushing landscape… I don’t know why this fascinates me so much, perhaps because of the state of transition, which cannot be defined by words. The night charges with its silence, which for me is not silent at all,” she reflected.
Conclusion
Maria Elena Bonet’s work is a testament to her deep connection with the world and her unique perspective. Her photography is not just about capturing images; it’s about expressing her journey, her questions, and her discoveries. It’s a dance with reality, a timeless poetry that invites us to look beyond the familiar and explore the mysteries of life.
