Monika Maroziene

Monika Maroziene is a visionary Lithuanian photographer whose work seamlessly merges art and science. With a master's degree in chemistry and a profound artistic yearning, Monika has spent her career bridging these two disciplines, creating an innovative approach to photography as technical as poetic. Always seeking new ways to incorporate her scientific background into her artistic practice, she experiments with melting pine tree resin onto her prints. This technique adds a unique tactile dimension and imparts warmth and durability to her work. The resin serves as both a preservative and a means to evoke the nostalgic essence of the Amber Coast, the landscape she grew up around, which profoundly influences her creative vision. Her latest project, "Woman and The Sea," brings this fusion of art and chemistry to life. The project incorporates pine tree resin—distinct from fossilized amber but equally significant in its connection to the natural world. The resin's subtle yellow hue and antioxidant properties enhance her photographs, preserving them indefinitely while connecting them to her childhood's warm, sunlit landscapes. For Monika, amber has always been a symbol of beauty and preservation, echoing the timeless qualities of her subjects—particularly women, who she views as complex, multifaceted beings, just as the landscape of the Curonian Spit is both serene and wild. Monika's work is suffused with poetic irony and melancholy, captured most poignantly in her black-and-white photographs. She sees the world through a lens of deep introspection, finding beauty and freedom in the act of creation. "Through my lens, I capture moments to liberate myself from the past," she says, reflecting on how her photography is a means of personal expression and escape. Her connection to her childhood, steeped in solitude and surrounded by nature, profoundly influences her photographic style. The calls of seagulls, the gentle rhythm of the sea, and the evocative beauty of the Curonian Spit resonate through her work. Black-and-white photography, she believes, creates a comforting distance from reality while simultaneously evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia. "I often dream of the Amber Coast, wishing it could last forever," she muses, blending past and present in a timeless visual narrative. Monika's dedication to her craft has earned her multiple prestigious awards in 2024 alone, including 1st place at the Monochrome Photography Awards as Fine Art Photographer of the Year, 1st place in Fine Art and Gold in Fine Art/Portrait at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA), Silver at both the Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3) and the Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) and Bronze at both the One Eyeland and Exposure One Awards.  She also received an Honorable Mention at the International Photography Awards (IPA). She was featured in the URBAN Photo Awards catalogue, "URBAN Unveils the City and its Secrets - Vol. 10." Monika's captivating images have been displayed at Trieste Photo Days, cementing her position as one of the most intriguing contemporary photographers, combining technical prowess with deep artistic insight.