How Eva Chupikova Crafts Magic and Meaning Through Minimalism

Last Updated on 10/23/2024 by Nilofer Khan

Sometimes, a photograph can’t do justice to one’s vision on its own. Sometimes, one must push its limits by introducing new elements. For some, these could be tangible components such as threads or paints. For others, it is a matter of weaving together two distinct mediums to create an image that oscillates between dreams and reality. Such pictures remind you of the meeting of sky and sea at the horizon, where the impossible also seems achievable. When Eva Chupikova began photography, she chose the latter as her artistic approach. In doing so, Eva has created a poetic world that only becomes apparent when you fully surrender.” By weaving together diverse elements, I aim to create images that resonate on multiple levels,” she tells us in an interview. “They invite viewers to explore the layers of meaning and emotion within each carefully crafted frame,” she adds.

All photographs are by Eva Chupikova. Used with permission. For more, please visit her website or follow her Instagram @eva_chupikova.

Eva Chupikova And Her Duality

Photography knocked on Eva’s door in the early 2010s when she was pursuing illustration for children’s literature. Her initial photographs were of nature, where she would focus on textures and shapes in nature. But, over time, Eva’s perception of image-making evolved, and she gradually found herself balancing both disciplines to express her vision. “I see a photograph as a canvas, and only when I am satisfied with every small detail of it do I consider the picture complete,” she states. For her, an illustration or collage is a small but meaningful addition that helps her pictures convey the message or vision behind them. “At the same time, I find it charming to touch a photograph with my own hand, to leave a stroke, an imprint, a mark on it,” she states.

The most striking part of her minimalist oeuvre is how her images—landscapes, conceptual portraits, and self-portraits—resemble pencil sketches. It is only upon closer inspection that one realizes they are, in fact, photographs. It’s this beauty of shapes, forms, expressions, and the ability to transcend reality and accurately depict surrealism that earned her the Prix de la Photographie Paris, ND Photo Awards, and most recently, the title of Minimalist Photographer of the Year. Eva says about her win: “This recognition not only affirms my vision but also reinforces the significance of simplicity in my work.”

The Making of Award-Winning Images

Eva Chupikova’s photographs are lyrical and rich in deep meanings. For instance, her portrait series Anna, which won the Minimalist Photographer of the Year, comments on the rampant materialism and excess we see today. While there are various ways to depict such issues, Eva chose an unusual route—she stripped down the excess to focus only on the essential elements. “Photography, for me, is a means of capturing a distilled version of reality. It serves as a tool to seek out and unveil purified connections, free from the noise of superficial information and stimuli that inundate our senses and experiences,” she explains her approach. “Through this, I strive to isolate and reveal the essential elements that might otherwise go unnoticed in the chaos of everyday life.”

To create the portraits, Eva uses a black or white background, with light and its intensity playing a vital role in the overall allure. “During a few hours of shooting, I focus on composition or detail that catches my eye,” she states. Gradually, improvisation, too, helps the photographer in achieving her vision in-camera. “I love to discover the seeds of a story, which are then completed with framing and graphic details in post-production,” she adds. Her trusted gear, in this process, is the Nikon D7500 and a 16-80mm lens. Sometimes, she also uses 70-200mm and 10-20mm for her evocative landscape photography.

The Color of Magic

This is one of the crucial stages in Eva’s work, which gives her photographs a special, enchanted characteristic. The sepia tone, along with the softness of the grain and the addition of illustration, are some features that make her images truly her own. Eva Chupikova reveals that learning about traditional photographic techniques such as silver gelatin print, cyanotype, or salted paper print has helped her to “open up a whole universe of new possibilities.” She reveals that her reason for learning them has been to “emphasize the tactile nature of photography, connecting the viewer to the handcrafted essence behind each image.” To give our readers more context, each format gives your work a distinct appeal that is difficult to replicate with a digital camera. However, the artist fuses digital photography with classic techniques to “enhance the emotional depth of the photographs” while inviting a “dialogue between past traditions and contemporary aesthetics.”

So, how does she recreate the traditional appearance today? The photographer reveals it’s with the aid of RAW files. “I create multiple virtual copies, and it’s interesting to see how the editing of the same image can be different over time,” she adds. The first step is to convert the image to black and white and work on basic edits of brightness and contrast. “What happens next depends on each specific frame,” she states. Then comes the stage of adding illustrations. In some of her portraits, intricate designs function as a crown for the model, giving her a royal yet delicate look. In another picture, she adds seeds, which resemble wings on the back of another model. “The combination of techniques of photography, illustration, and collage allows me to enhance its overall depth and narrative dimensions,” she explains.

And now, with the boom of AI, Eva points out that the absence of clear guidelines will make it challenging to differentiate between machine-generated and human-created artworks. But she hasn’t lost hope. “I believe that, on the other hand, the huge amount of AI content will increase the value of what was created by human creativity,” she adds.

Eva Chupikova’s delicate photographs remind us that sometimes, less is more. Her pictures take us through a time we have never really lived in. In doing so, she opens up pathways to various realms where memories and visions intertwine, inviting us to explore the subtleties of life and find meaning in its fleeting moments.

AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT

The Phoblographer works with human photographers to verify that they’ve actually created their work through shoots. These are done by providing us assets such as BTS captures, screenshots of post-production, extra photos from the shoot, etc. We do this to help our readers realize that this is authentically human work. Here’s what this photographer provided for us.