Stanislava Pinchuk’s commission for Vogue China in collaboration with Reven Lei

16 Sep 2023

Stanislava Pinchuk has been commissioned by Vogue China together with photograher Reven Lei, to collaborate on a feature to amplify awareness of marine environmental concerns through fashion culture; to use visual language to describe the state of hydrology and ecology.

Leveraging Pinchuk’s Ghost Net series, the artist’s works are intertwined with statistics obtained from United Nations marine pollution data—figures such as 5.7%, 45%, 70%, etc. For instance, 5.7% of fishing nets are lost at sea. Among endangered species, fishing gear affects 45% of marine animals, while human activity is responsible for 70% of large floating plastic debris in the open ocean. These soft, hollow fishing nets now act as destructive agents in the marine ecosystems. Guided by these statistical figures, the photographer manipulates light and shadow with the intricate architecture of the fishing net scaffoldings, culminating in a collection of captivating visuals.

“I envisioned the projections themselves as ghosts, like apparitions on the water,” Pinchuk shared.

Expanding on her artistic approach in the article, the artist reveals the inspirations and observations she derived from her prior work. Underscoring the role of empathy in shaping Pinchuk’s unique creative language, and her commitment to surpass labels and immutability, ultimately fostering the evolution of her own art—”Every time I create, I will choose a certain medium for a certain inspiration. It can be a film, a marble sculpture, or a series of pictures, or architectural works” continued Pinchuk.

Image: Stanislava Pinchuk, Ghost Net series. Courtesy of the artist and Vogue China.