Inverness arts student recognised in global photo awards
- Published
A Highlands art student has been recognised in an international photography competition.
Evija Laivina, an HND Contemporary Art Practice student at Inverness College UHI, is one of five student photographers to feature in the Student Spotlight category of the LensCulture Portrait Awards, external.
Photographers from all over the world submit images to the awards.
Ms Laivina, who has studied at Inverness College UHI since 2014, submitted a series of photographs titled Beauty Warriors.
They depict the alternative side of female beauty preparations and treatments.
The arts student said: "In the past, I experimented with a wide range of art mediums, including painting, drawing and sculpture, before returning to my first love of photography.
"Prior to my time at Inverness College UHI, I was part of an artist community in Latvia where I concentrated on blending humour and surrealism to produce witty and thought-provoking photographs.
"It was this return to photography that prompted my entry to the Lens Culture Awards."
Ms Laivina added: "To create my portraits, I purchased many bizarre beauty aids from the internet to be used by the models, before preparing different backdrops and setting up a series of studio sessions."
Dr Valerie Beattie, programme and development manager of cultural and creative industries at Inverness College UHI, said: "Evija is a very motivated, hard-working and committed student, and her tutors speak highly of her.
"She is talented in all areas of art and could have chosen any medium to work in, but is now specialising in photography."
Ms Laivina's portraits were judged by a panel of industry experts that included Susan White, photography director at Vanity Fair magazine, and Whitney Johnson who is the National Geographic's deputy director of photography.
Fiona Rogers, of Magnum Photos and who was also on the panel, said: "These awards succeeded in bringing together a diverse range of photographers - a rare chance to discover such an inspiring array of photographic approaches all in one place."
Evija Laivina said she felt honoured to be recognised in the international awards
All images are copyrighted.