INSPADES MAGAZINE CINQUE | Page 125

“I do believe that we are constantly surrounded by miracles, but we do not recognize them because they come to us so gracefully and seamlessly.” I n the waking hours of the morning and the prelude to sleep, a fog of ambiguity rolls over perception, subtly skewing the outlines of awareness. Through the vision of Russian photographer Dasha Pears, clouded dreams condense into droplets of pseudo-reality, allowing the viewer to experience her art as if through a lucid dream. “ I’m not document ing rea l it y, I’m documenting myself and my imagination,” Pears tells INSPADES. Having spent the last f ive years cultivating her conceptual photography, this self-taught artist embeds each image with a unique story, rather than using a series of shots to weave the narrative. In each shoot, Pears aims to draw the marvellous out of the woodwork, “exploring magic and beauty in ordinary people and simple things.” Careful not to overcrowd the message of her works, much of Pears’ photography maintains a minimalist air, allowing symbolic props and dreamlike elements to protrude with gentle emphasis. “I do believe that we are constantly surrounded by miracles, but we do not recognize them because they come to us so gracefully and seamlessly,” Pears asserts, a notion that has made its way into her visual style. With a sense of childlike romanticism, themes of clouds, castles and crowns garnish Pears’ collection. “I like fairy tales,” she explains. Growing up in St. Petersburg, Russia, with no castles or storybook settings in sight, Pears fantasized about being in “a real castle” throughout her girlhood. 125 inspadesmag.com