So, after a month out of social media I am back with some new projects :) Today I wanted to share the first photo on a new series I’m playing with, inspired by Tarot cards, lingerie and surreal fashion.
This one is a re-imagining of the Two of Swords, one of my favourite images from the Rider deck. To me, the original image is an exploration of balance and the unconscious, represented in the symmetrical balance of the two swords, the body of water and the blindfold. In my photo I wanted to play with the idea of a woman warrior, feminine energy and sword position implying not only masterful balance, but readiness for action.
Model: @wolf.rylee
Make up & Hair: @olena.a
Masks: @lacemask
Assistant: @gloriacaballero.photo
Photo: @pedrobonatto
PS: Special thanks to @ladytor for giving the original spark for this journey with her beautiful drawings. You should check out her work :)
After three months in Thailand and two transformative months in the beautiful land of Cambodia, I find myself back in Cairo with the goal of finishing a number of projects started this year.
Today it’s been a month since we arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and we are starting our second month here. What was supposed to be a 10-day temple hopping adventure has transformed into a full exploration of music, dance, and mythology of the fascinating Khmer culture.
Today I released my second song. Invocation was inspired by my 8-month stay in Cairo and it’s is out on all music platforms.
Today I released my first composition. Saharetni (She Put a Spell on Me) is out on all music platforms.
As a photographer and musician, I am in love with mixing ethnic elements from different cultures and exploring ancient places. These are themes that come back again and again in my work, and today I’m happy to share a little experiment with the talented model and dancer Tetiana Tesliuk in Egypt. This is the first in a series of photos showcasing Ukrainian artists in traditional outfits at landmarks around the world, during my travels this year.
My 8-month stay in Egypt comes to an end in 10 days. I suddenly realized I’ve been on the road - technically with no home - for almost four years. The goal was not to become a perpetual traveler, but to take the time to experience cultures that call to me, to go on a creative pilgrimage and stay at different places around the world long enough to make them feel like home.
My favorite author, Carl Sagan, once wrote an essay called ‘Dreams are maps’, where he talked about how visions can become reality, create purpose, and inspire next generations.
Yesterday I got a new metal drum. It has been on my to-have-done list since I came to Cairo. I resisted it. I am not a collector.
I thought I was close. There was a fog up there, but at times I could see the peak reveal itself, for a brief moment, as a vision inviting me to keep going up. Keep climbing.
She sat at the top of the hill to rest, look, and think. We had arrived at the Pyramids complex early, for the third time in one month.
No deep thoughts for today. Just happy I got to see this place. And see it with her. For the first time.
At the temple of Hathor in Dendera, Egypt, I suddenly realized what made it so unique, especially compared to Luxor or Karnak.
The most precious gift of travel is that it can give you a chance to not only see, but also to observe what is around you, and how it connects to your own story.
Seeing the pyramids of Giza has always been on any version of these plans, and they have always been delayed for a ‘better time’. This Spring Iana Komarnytska and I decided to get back on the road and step into fulfilling postponed dreams, with all the flaws and imperfections of timing.
Ventre is a Belly Dance Photography Book by photographer Pedro Bonatto in support for Ukraine. All profits from sales will go to institutions helping women and children in Ukraine who are impacted by the war. The book features more than 50 dancers from Ukraine and all over the world that have been photographed by Pedro throughout the years.
I am a Brazilian citizen and this is the perspective of a foreigner who lived in Ukraine for the past 3 years.
I woke up today to a strange surreal view of Istanbul, taken over by a thick white fog. It’s been 10 days since we left Ukraine in a hurry, with many projects postponed and plans deeply changed.
This year I want to focus on combining fashion and ancient history and places in some new fine art series.
Artist Date is a new weekly show by dancer Iana Komarnytska and photographer Pedro Bonatto where they talk about travel, creativity, inspiration and living an artist’s life.
The day after writing my last post, I got a chance to get back in studio for a personal project and have some time to play around with some ideas. I got together with model Yulia Naumenko at the Karman Studio in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, and my goal was to come up with some intuitive ideas inspired by the outfits she brought and the space itself.
This is my first post after a year, where I talk about the lessons learned during my travels in Ukraine, Brazil, and Egypt. From stagnation during lockdowns, to family crises and getting Covid, to going into desert adventures, to setting up a routine in a small town, I share my process in getting my enthusiasm for creating again.
Over the past few days I’ve been reviewing some travel projects that were left lingering in quarantine - of the pandemic and psychological kind - and I found myself visualizing wandering into paths of ancient secrets and modern beauty, turning imagination into courage to create personal and meaningful art.
As the quarantine progresses (6th week as of this writing) I finally found a new normal and a possible new routine to deal with the current situation.
I’ve been thinking of what kinds of shoots to do at home during the quarantine and I came across this shot with Iana Komarnytska and hair by Olena A., mixing elements of ethnic fashion and high end jewelry.
Yesterday I released a second solo episode for the new season of the Wanderings Podcast. I am really happy to share insights into my path of becoming an artist, a traveler, a small business owner in a digital landscape, and I hope some lessons of that journey can be useful to you.