Julia Mayorova

Silent mode

Julia Maiorova
Mode of Silence

As part of the XII Moscow International Biennale of Fashion and Style in Photography 2021, the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow, together with the Still Art Foundation, presents the exhibition ‘Mode of Silence’ by Julia Maiorova. This young Russian fashion photographer has extensive professional experience working with leading glossy publications such as ‘Interview’, ‘Vogue’, ‘Glamour’ and ‘Marie Claire’, as well as her collaboration with major brands including ‘Louis Vuitton’, ‘Apple’, ‘La Mer’, ‘Omega’ and ‘Estée Lauder’.

Julia Maiorova works in the genre of portrait photography. Often her images ‘violate’ the terms of reference formulated by publishers and brands. Such professional work is extremely important for an artist: it builds muscles, teaches creative and work discipline. But the names that remain in the annals of photography as part of art history are of those who pushed boundaries and ventured beyond mundane stereotypes.

Maiorova has worked with such world stars as Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford, Shia LaBeouf, George Clooney, Karlie Kloss, Dita Von Teese, John Galliano, Anish Kapoor, Anna Sui, and many others. For such cooperation it is necessary to reach the level of these stars, to see and discover what is inherent in people but rarely articulated. Maiorova articulates this moment of inner silence in her portraits.

All of us find inner silence very difficult to achieve, and this quality is especially valued in everyone. Everyday reality puts us in a situation of continuous commitment. The accelerating rhythm of life, experiences and actions turn us into hostages of a crazy race where you need to be in the best form at every second. In the process of her work Julia Maiorova does not ask models to assume certain poses or place them in complex interiors. She captures the moment when a person goes deeper into him or herself, when the transition between the conscious and the unconscious begins to flicker. This state is closer to the moment of falling asleep and transition than sleep itself, when the unconscious mind takes charge. As a result Julia’s portraits in no way resemble replicated images and reveal the fragility of each of her subjects.

By getting into contact with her subject the photographer ensures that people turn off internal controls about how they look or what they should experience, and they embark on a journey of internal dialogue with themselves. In Maiorova’s portraits people often find themselves with their eyes closed, which is usually regarded as a fault, since by tradition the subject’s gaze conveys their strength of character and charisma. In the case of Julia Maiorova micro-movements, postures and closed eyes often tell more about the subject. Her projects are not only the opportunity to enter into dialogue with celebrities and models. The artist subtly and accurately feels the energy potential of the characters portrayed. Julia gives us, her audience, the chance to enter this mode of silence she has directed, a state so valuable to all of us today.

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Julia Maiorova was born in 1992. In 2009 she enrolled in the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University. At the same time she began to work professionally with photography. Maiorova also creates video art and music clips. In 2018 she presented a performance as part of the Form Festival of Contemporary Art. She directed the performance ‘Freedom of Will’ by Pavel Pepperstein and Dmitry Volkov in 2019. She currently lives and works in Moscow and Los Angeles.

The Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow would like to thank the Still Art Foundation founded by Elena Karisalova and their ongoing programme to support young fashion photographers.