Exalting a glaring gospel of rich color and retina rupturing neon, Слава Семенюта plunges his audience into a lush limbo of futurism. His creative drug of choice is color. He huffs hues and conjures up images with an aesthetic that is best described as “hallucinatory realism.”
Семенюта’s inspiration comes from the universe—above and below. He is enamored with underwater and the cosmos. When he bought his first camera a couple of years ago, Семенюта immediately started experimenting with UV light and fluorescent paint and markers. The experimenting paid off, resulting in such works as Neon Skeleton, Neon Dependence, Supersaturation Sadness, Neon Cyber Girl and Neon Pasta.
Семенюта explains in his own words:
“I always liked the underwater world and the cosmos; these two forms of space are very similar—a lot of dark space with bright elements. I like girls. I like to photograph and paint them, I like to turn them into unusual fantastical creatures with unique design patterns on their bodies.”
– Слава Семенюта
As of late, Семенюта’s taste has gotten more minimal. Series like Gothic Alien and Holographic Dreams are stripped and streamlined; the neon tastefully reduced to an accent instead of being the main fare. It is a welcomed shift in Семенюта’s work that also includes him intermingling his subjects with the surrounding environment.
Слава Семенюта is a young photographer with a bright future; and we aren’t just saying that because of the neon. His work is evolving into something more than just bright colors. It is turning into a journey for the perfect visual shadowed by a reverence for the female form.
Akeem is our founder. A writer, poet, curator and profuse sweater, he is responsible for the curatorial direction and overall voice of Quiet Lunch. The Bronx native has read at venues such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, KGB Bar, Lovecraft and SHAG–with works published in Palabra Luminosas and LiVE MAG13. He has also curated solo and group exhibitions at numerous galleries in Chelsea, Harlem, Bushwick and Lower Manhattan.