MAYA SOLANKI
CREATIVE EDITORIAL
My photography as featured in the Avenue, Northeastern’s fashion and lifestyle magazine.
BITE
SIPS OF SELF
WRITER ZOE WEINSTEIN
PHOTOGRAPHER MAYA SOLANKI
STYLIST AVA ROGNLIEN
MAKEUP MADI MOORE
MODELS JOURDEN FENNER, MULAN OZEKI,
ABIGAIL WILSON-KAGENI, VICTORIA CRABB
DESIGN VALENTINA RIERA
AS PART OF THE AVENUE’S FW23 ISSUE BITE, I CONCEPTED, COORDINATED, AND PHOTOGRAPHED A SHOOT TO COMPLIMENT AN ARTICLE TITLED SIPS OF SELF, A REFLECTIVE PIECE REGARDING THE WRITER’S PAST RELATIONSHIPS. THE SHOOT CONCEPT WAS AN EMOTIONAL CAT AND MOUSE GAME, REPRESENTED PHYSICALLY IN A HEDGE MAZE WITH FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE PURSUING EACH OTHER. THEY STRUGGLE WITH THE PUSH AND PULL OF VULNERABILITY VS IMPENETRABILITY WITH THE OTHER PARTY. THEY START AS A BLANK SLATE, STRUGGLING WITH A SENSE OF SELF, CAUSING THEM TO LOOK FOR THEMSELVES IN OTHERS, WHILE ALSO PICKING UP CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE OTHERS OR DESPERATELY CONSUMING PARTS OF THEM IN ORDER TO PIECE THEMSELVES TOGETHER. THEY YEARN FOR CONNECTION, BUT THEY INSTINCTIVELY CAVE INTO THEIR BANAL TENDENCIES TO RUN.
WRITER MALAIKA BESAME
PHOTOGRAPHER MAYA SOLANKI
SET DESIGN JENNA ORY
STYLIST HAYLEN WEHR
MAKEUP MOLLY LANE
MODEL GINNY WILLIAMS
DESIGN GINNY WILLIAMS
FOR THE AVENUE’S SS24 ISSUE THEMED PLAY, I PHOTOGRAPHED A CONCEPT SHOOT TO ACCOMPANY THE ARTICLE WELCOME TO GIRL-OUROBOROS. THE PIECE EXPLORES THE PHENOMENON OF YOUNG GIRLS RUSHING TOWARD MATURITY WHILE WOMEN ARE INCREASINGLY GRASPING FOR THEIR YOUTH. TO AVOID INFANTILIZING THE MODEL OR EVOKING A LOLITA-ESQUE TONE, WE SOUGHT A BALANCED APPROACH TO PORTRAYING A WOMAN’S NOSTALGIA FOR HER YOUTH. USING VIBRANT PRIMARY COLORS AND PLAYFUL PROPS LIKE PAPER AIRPLANES, WE CREATED A VISUAL NARRATIVE THAT SUBTLY CAPTURES THE TENSION BETWEEN INNOCENCE AND THE PASSAGE OF TIME.