Andean Baroque Ceiling Panel
Manuel Chili (Capiscara)
This carved and gilded ceiling panel (1770–80) shows radiant faces, golden beams, and floral motifs arranged around a central sunburst. Produced in late-colonial Quito, it aligns with the Andean baroque’s celestial imagery. Caspicara joined Catholic cosmology with Indigenous conceptions of ordered, sacred geometry.
Inframundo Maya
Rina Lazo
In this mural (2019), Lazo reimagines Xibalba—the Mayan underworld—through the lens of the Popol Vuh. The Hero Twins traverse rivers, deities oversee sacrifice and desire, and spirits haunt the sacred landscape. Blending myth and memory, the artist fuses political vision with ancestral wisdom in her final celebration of Maya cosmology.
Madonna del colloquio
Giovanni Pisano
This half-length marble Virgin and Child (c. 1280–1284) originally stood at the south transept portal of Pisa Cathedral. Now, it captures a striking emotional exchange between mother and son. The Child gently grasps Mary’s veil, emphasizing Pisano’s innovative focus on tenderness and psychological realism in sacred art.
Leda and the Swan
Fernando Botero
This 1996 bronze sculpture reinterprets the myth in which Zeus, king of the gods, seduces or assaults Leda, Queen of Sparta, in the form of a swan. From their union, according to legend, were born Helen of Troy and other heroic figures. Botero’s voluptuous forms soften the myth’s violence, transforming it into a surreal, sensual tableau. His signature style invites reflection on desire, divinity, and the boundary between seduction and power.
The Veil Torn (The Door to Heaven)
Mariano Bidó
In this mixed-media work (2018), a vast crowd moves toward a hill crowned by three crosses under a black veil of smoke. Referencing the crucifixion, the piece evokes mass devotion, suffering, and salvation. The dense humanity contrasts with the distant, divine climax—highlighting faith as both a collective journey and personal reckoning.
Man, Controller of the Universe
Diego Rivera
This mural (1934), a replica of Rivera’s censored Rockefeller Center fresco, places a worker at the symbolic axis of modernity. He guides cosmic, scientific, and political forces—flanked by socialism on the left and capitalism on the right. Lenin’s presence affirms Rivera’s Marxist ideals, asserting art’s power to envision revolutionary futures.
The Saviour Not Made by Hand
Simon Ushakov
This mid–late 17th-c. fresco depicts Spas Nerukotvorny (The Saviour Not Made by Hand), an image understood as a direct imprint of Christ’s face and a sign of his enduring presence. Ushakov follows Byzantine conventions yet introduces soft modeling and spatial depth drawn from Western art. The work reflects a moment when Moscow blended inherited Orthodox forms with new artistic influences to express religious renewal.
The Comedy, Parody, and Tragedy
Rodel Tapaya
This 2018 painting layers crowded shanties, billboards, and tangled walkways with mythic creatures from Philippine folklore. Human figures mingle with spirits and masked characters, blurring everyday life with the supernatural. Bright colors and abrupt shifts in scale evoke noise, congestion, and spectacle. Tapaya unfolds contemporary urban experience as a chaotic folk tale, where comedy, parody, and tragedy coexist in a single scene.
Museum Courtyard
Luis Alberto Acuña
This eclectic courtyard blends colonial architecture with fantastical sculptures and lush vegetation. Dinosaurs, jaguars, and snakes emerge from the stone paths, reflecting Acuña’s imaginative fusion of pre-Columbian, mythological, and surrealist influences.
Mona Lisa, Age Twelve
Fernando Botero
In this whimsical reimagining (1959), Botero transforms da Vinci’s iconic subject into a voluminous child. Created in his signature Boterismo style, the painting blends parody with homage. Born from a cleaning lady’s remark, the work helped launch Botero’s career, celebrating exaggerated form as a tool for both humor and artistic identity.
Horizons
Francisco Antonio Cano
Horizontes (1913) presents an idealized vision of Colombia’s settler frontier. The man's outstretched arm signifies hope and destiny, while the woman and child convey continuity and rootedness. This work by a leading Colombian academic painter uses the peasant family to symbolize national identity and the forging of a future in the Andean landscape.
Christ in Glory (detail)
Raphael
The radiant figure of the risen Christ (1508–10) crowns the celestial register of The Disputation of the Sacrament. His raised hand and visible wounds recall both his Passion and his role as judge at the end of time. Encircled by golden rays, he visually affirms the doctrine of the Eucharist as the enduring, real presence of Christ.
Simonetta Vespucci as Cleopatra
Piero di Cosimo
This painting (c. 1480) by di Cosimo depicts Simonetta Vespucci as Cleopatra, with an asp coiled around her neck. Created posthumously, it honors Vespucci’s beauty; she died in 1476 at 23. The profile view echoes medal portraits, while the snake may symbolize her death from tuberculosis. The serene landscape and sky enhance her ethereal presence, making this work a poignant tribute.
Apollo and Daphne
Bernini
Seen from behind, Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne (1622–25) reveals the spiraling tension of flight and pursuit. Daphne’s transformation accelerates—branches burst from her hair as Apollo strains forward, barely grounded. This angle heightens the illusion of motion, capturing the myth’s fleeting climax with lyrical virtuosity.
Spoliarium
Juan Luna
This vast 1884 canvas depicts slain gladiators dragged from the Roman arena, their bodies stripped in the spoliarium — the chamber beneath the Colosseum where the dead were despoiled. Luna used the scene as an allegory for the Philippines under Spanish rule, exposing oppression and voicing a nationalist cry for dignity and liberation.
“When the path is beautiful, do not ask where it leads.” — Zen proverb
Welcome to my travel photography!
“When the path is beautiful, do not ask where it leads.” — Zen proverb
Welcome to my travel photography!
For as long as I can remember, my path has been one of discovery—seeking beauty, timelessness, and connection in every corner of the world. It has also been a journey of deep learning and understanding. I’ve been an avid traveler (or perhaps a travel addict?) for most of my life. My love for travel began long before I ever left home: as a child, I drew a fantasy map of my grandparents’ apartment and “traveled” through it with my cousin Sonya, imagining adventures in every corner. Nearly 90 countries and countless moments of awe later, I’m excited to share this journey with you.
Thanks to the tireless and ingenious programming of Diagilev, we’re now able to present about fifteen percent of the images I’ve accumulated over the years. More will be released in small batches depending on your interest. While the first release leans toward museum photography, later ones will include more nature, architecture, culture, and general travel experiences. If you’d like to receive email notifications about new releases, feel free to reach out—no commercial use, ever.
Throughout my travels, I’ve been drawn to two intertwined kinds of discovery. One is intellectual: learning why the world is the way it is. History became my guide, shaping my perspective and filling my camera roll with museums and old buildings. To me, history is not the past—it is the key to understanding the present and how the world became what it is. The other is emotional: seeking moments of elevation—spirituality, beauty, harmony—often found in nature, monasteries, and ancient sacred spaces. Together, these impulses shape my photography. It invites you to learn, admire, and soar—to rise above the mundane and see the world through a lens of curiosity and wonder.
Much of my later travel became possible thanks to my job with Delta Air Lines, but the wanderlust began years earlier. By the time I joined the industry, I had already visited over 35 countries and lived in several—largely thanks to a backpacking journey around the world with Luis León, whose face appears in many early photos. I grew up in Ufa in the USSR, and since leaving it I have lived, studied, and worked in Latvia, the United States, France, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia.
A life of near-constant movement may seem a little crazy, but it has deepened my understanding of the world and produced the photography you are about to see. Over the years, my style has evolved—more intentional, more refined—yet its core remains the same: a search for understanding, timeless beauty, and a connection to those who walked this earth long before us.
I hope these photos stir something in your soul, just as they did in mine. I’d love to hear from you—whether reactions, suggestions, corrections, or a request to be added to the email list for new releases (no commercial use, I promise). You can learn more about my travels here, and my academic life here.
Enjoy our shared journey!