Vita Vilelskaja

I have seen the world in fragments all my life.

Sometimes they bring inspiration and allow me to pause at small beauties; other times they weigh me down, as if there were simply too many. In photography, I search for human duality: light and gentleness, but also melancholy — that darker existence hidden within us. It is important for me to show that all of this coexists — intertwined within a single person, a single emotion, a single fragile frame.

I am learning to accept confusion. At times, I stand between two sides and do not know which one to choose on that particular day. The faces we carry sometimes scream, tear at us, remind us that if we allow ourselves to be true, we might not be accepted. And yet — one must learn to rise above self-torment and the chains of others’ opinions. It is at times a bitter, but inevitable, experience.

As time passes, my colors become clearer. Not one, not two — but the whole fabric of them. A human being is never one-dimensional; opposites dwell within us.

Women often appear in my photographs. Not because I do not love men, but because my bond with women is closer, gentler, more alive. They are my muses — their love and fragility inspire me, lift me upward. My mother was my first source of inspiration: she held me by the hand, and later passed that hand on to others.

And here I am — as I am — shaped by experiences, lessons, and mistakes. What matters to me most is feeling: sensitivity, depth, tenderness, even roughness. Everything that touches us leaves a mark.

Link to portfolio: vitavilkeliskyte.com