Photography Sivan Roshianu @sivanmolokoroshianu
Words by Kimberly Haddad
Self-taught in the art of photography, Israel native Sivan Roshianu turned her initial fascination with still life photography into a bold and unconventional career. Embracing the immediacy of digital photography in her. twenties, she explored the voyeuristic aspects of street photography and ventured into editorial work, before ultimately developing her own distinctly subversive style. Today, Roshianu has set herself apart by incorporating vivid colors and intricately orchestrated settings to convey a compelling intensity, with graphic textures lending an intoxicating edge to her work. Inspired by various sources, Roshianu describes herself as a collection of sensors that absorbs and interprets stimuli from the world around her.
Although Roshianu acknowledges her preference for privacy, she relies on her photography as a means of expressing her thoughts and emotions. Drawing on her roles as an observer, lover, artist, and woman, her exceptional ability to infuse hints of mystery into her work allows her to maintain her retreat while inviting viewers to delve into the layers of hidden beauty and intrigue that gradually reveal themselves in each of her images.
“My photographs show a clear contrast between delicacy and wildness, all while maintaining a refined balance,” she said. “Although I struggle to find the precise term for it, I believe an effective image evokes interest or emotion through tension in the composition, sharp transitions of light, and a focus on every detail—even the smallest ones. This approach encourages the viewer’s eye to explore the image continuously.”
Roshianu’s work reveals dark and poetic undertones, with rich symbolism waiting to be uncovered. From intricate botanical details to the beauty of insects and creatures, themes of fertility, continuity, and the wonders of life are ever-present. While the artist sees beauty in everything from a withered plant to a skittering crawler, it is her careful selection of color palettes and the highly detailed atmospheres within each scene that demand close examination. Roshianu’s intuitive approach seamlessly merges clean minimalism with hyperrealism, resulting in uncanny compositions that are simultaneously eerie and breathtaking.
