Featured image: Parallel Dimension, Shiela Mahaney, 2022, digital photography, 16 x 20 in. / 40.64 x 50.8 cm.
Shiela Mahaney's photography is marked by its stark, often haunting portrayal of human emotion and transformation.
Shiela Mahaney is a digital photographer known for her poignant portrayals of human emotions and transformations through carefully composed black and white imagery. Her work often explores themes of identity, change, and the human psyche.
Her images delve deeply into the psychological states, capturing the essence of human vulnerability and resilience. Through "Hidden Fear," "Transitions," and "Affliction," Mahaney invites viewers to explore the depths of personal experience and the universality of human emotion.
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Hidden Fear (2018)
Hidden Fear, Shiela Mahaney, 2018, digital photography, 12 x 12 in. / 30.48 x 30.48 cm.
"Hidden Fear" showcases a face obscured by a plain mask with feathers as eyebrows, held in place by hands that seem to both shield and restrict. This image powerfully evokes the sense of hidden anxieties and the masks people wear to confront societal expectations. The contrast in textures between the smooth mask and the detailed hands enhances the tension, drawing viewers into a contemplation of their own concealed fears.
Transitions (2017)
Transitions, Shiela Mahaney, 2017, digital photography, 12 x 12 in. / 30.48 x 30.48 cm.
In "Transitions," Mahaney captures the dramatic shift from fall to winter, symbolized through the vivid imagery of a person holding a deer skull adorned with foliage. This piece transcends the literal change in seasons to comment on life's cyclical nature and the constant flux in personal identities and surroundings. The colorful, yet fading leaves juxtaposed with the stark whiteness of the skull evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and the ephemeral quality of time.
Affliction (2019)
Affliction, Shiela Mahaney, 2019, digital photography, 11 x 14 in. / 27.94 x 35.56 cm.
"Affliction" is a gripping portrait of a weathered face partially obscured by a hand, peering through a symbolic hole that suggests clarity amid chaos. This image might reflect on the struggles that define human existence and the clarity that often comes from enduring them. The raw emotion captured in the detailed lines and worn textures of the hand and face powerfully express the theme of suffering and the human capacity to withstand hardship.
Shiela Mahaney's photographic work is a profound exploration of the human condition. Her ability to capture moments of vulnerability and transformation in such a visually arresting manner invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences of fear, change, and resilience. Her photographs are not merely images but narratives that resonate with the trials and triumphs of life.
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Unconventional Fashion, Shiela Mahaney, 2018, digital photography, 16 x 20 in. / 40.64 x 50.8 cm.
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