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Oana Bakovic
UK
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“I seek to create exquisite scenes of nature with a theatrical twist, provoking the observer to feel the same desire and always alluring him to want more.”
Oana M. Baković is a contemporary fine art photographer with a predilection for the wild and endangered flora, peculiar plants, big bodies of water & motion. She was born in the port city of Constanta, on the shores of the Black Sea, to a Croatian father and a Romanian mother. Always a passionate photographer, she started by documenting her family life tangential to her work as an advertising professional.
Intergalactic Collection “Absolute Beginner” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
What a show-off. Purple sensations are a great flower to watch and photograph any time, or place, but imagine my luck finding this infinite treasure at the back of the playground @Kew Gardens, September 2021.
In 2020 Oana finally focused more on her art, identifying that her interest lies mainly in the natural world and refining the technique of using a flash with ambient light and sometimes ND filters. The camera of her choice is a Fuji X100V. Things started moving in the right direction when she participated and won first prize in a local photography art contest. The winning photograph of old Morris Minor was much praised in the local art community, which gave her confidence to go further.
Fiesta Collection “Absolute Beginner” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
The world of flowers is a magical, happy place. I shot this at Great Dixter House and Gardens, a centre of education and a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world.
It is essential to mention that she is not a still-life photographer. Her subjects are living, moving, thriving, or dying and always in their natural environment. The artist likes to emphasize 'nature's flaws' in her art, and no shift, beautification or arrangement must add to what nature created herself.
“I believe that flowers are an essential trait of our culture and history, an iconic symbol of femininity, strength, and a vital force for our planet's health.”
By 2022, following Oana’s win at The Sony World Photography Awards, Aesthetica Magazine wrote, 'Baković offers a fresh take on floral photography. The results are almost alien, highlighting the natural world from the inside. Seemingly small plants become towering giants in front of Baković's lens, rendered in rich and saturated color palettes.
Punk's not dead Collection “Absolute Beginner” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
The light was perfect. The breeze made them move as if dancing, making me feel young and free again. The photograph was shot at Kew Gardens, UK, in 2021.
I was about to photograph these gorgeous purple flowers when the bee flew by. I was so glad to catch it in such a relaxed state around the flowers at Great Dixter House and Gardens in East Sussex, UK, 2021.
Clubbing Collection “Absolute Beginner” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
The single artificial element is the flashlight, which Oana uses to add a bit of contour to the fantastic microcosms of nature. She usually works during magic hours. The challenge of chasing interesting angles and intensities of natural light is the backbone of her approach."
“I’m committed to the cause of saving the natural world by showing its exquisite beauty in detail, capturing simple magical moments as they happen, and always looking for unique locations where nature reigns.”
“My fascination for all botanicals comes from seeing them as an all-important factor in the existence of our biosphere, providing humanity with air, food and shelter.”
Her absolute love for the natural world, its beauty and peculiarities, has come a long way. The discovery of the magnificent UK gardens, castles, and amazingly preserved nature spots and the desire to explore more of the world's hidden beauties, understand it better, and share its struggles make it empowering for Oana to continue her work.
Nuclear Summer Collection “Absolute Beginner” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
I shot this image on a hot morning at Dungeness in 2021 – a strange, desolate land. It’s one of the best examples of a shingle beach in the world, home to many uncommon, precious and exceptionally fragile plants and animals.
Oana successfully captures her own artistic vision. She enables us to see fantastic, some would say alien, worlds, busy with life. Her work with lights adds new layers of depth to tiny patches of nature, ones we usually omit. Her indulgence in colors is childlike. Loveable, honest and without preconceptions.
One of a kind Collection “Absolute Beginner” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
These two flowers transported me straight into another world. I could see them in a love-and-hate dance, and the sky behind them made for the perfect background. Shot at Great Dixter House and Gardens, a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world.
Oana uses wind and other natural elements as props. She spends hours capturing the perfect moment, unaware of anything outside her viewfinder. This immersive process helps her get inside the walls of these micro-realms.
Burning air. Knackered birds and bees. Flowers and plants seemingly melt into each other. The fragments of a paranoid world. Getting under the skin of this desolate world brings up stories and the intrigues, the love, the drama and the sense of loss and hope.
Fata Morgana Collection “Desert Days” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
“Discovering a new place profoundly influences my work – the mood and light of the day and the subject's vivid colors.”
Major Tom Collection “Desert Days” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
The fiery attraction between flowers and bees is pure power and an essential trait for the future of our planet. Its fragility becomes more prominent each day, and it belongs to us humans to save it.
The range of colors is consistently assertive, letting the imagination go free while showcasing the danger we face by adding a sublime touch of darkness. The artist's technique remains steady, mirroring the natural beauty of her surroundings and the powerful bond they share.
Exquisite windflowers paint the forests and skies. Featuring Pulsatilla vulgaris, an endangered flower, as these require undisturbed grasslands to grow.
Wind Flowers Collection “A New Spring” | Paper
$800
23 X 33
Oana spends a lot of time researching the locations and the botanicals, trying to transmit a glimpse into their extraordinary world through her art. Like Annie Leibovitz falls in love with her human subjects, this is what Oana does, too, but with flowers and plants.
Paradise Apples Collection “Desert Days” | Paper
$913
23 X 33
A hopeful look into the future. Shot at magic hour at one of my favourite places to be, in the fantastic gardens of Great Dixter.
“It is my fear of humanity losing its mindfulness of the surrounding nature that drives me on my journey to capture and share the sometimes-overlooked beauty of the world we are part of.”
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