Fine Art nominee

The project dedicated to growing up and transitioning to independent life of my eldest daughter Alisa.

I envisioned the photographs as a love letter for her, her young beauty, her sensitive soul, but I see how my anxiety for her and the sadness of a mother left in an empty house are reflected in my works. It’s not just a celebration of her growing up but a portrait of my own struggle to let her go.

And then there’s her beloved, a boy who left his home and country to be with her. His presence in these photographs adds another layer — two young people breaking away from everything they’ve known, not just to find themselves but each other. His story, woven into hers, mirrors my own: the risk, the letting go, the hope that love can be enough to carry us through.

Mari Saxon (real name Maria Sakson), fine art photographer, architect.
Mari was born in Moscow and lived there until 2022, when she moved to the USA. By education and profession, she is an architect with over 25 years of experience. In her youth, she bought a semi-professional camera and spent about 20 years as a mediocre amateur photographer in her free time. In 2022, she discovered fine art photography, and within the first year, she achieved some success. In the new country, she left architecture and fully dedicated herself to photography, which became her profession and passion.
In the year and a half that she has been involved in fine art photography, she has already received international awards. Her works are exhibited in the USA, Russia, Europe, and Asia.
My honors in 2024:
• IPA (Finalist, single image)
• HIPA (Finalist Black and White Category, single image)
• Critical Mass Top 200 Photolucida (Finalist)
• Nominated emerging photographer of the Hamburg Portfolio Review
• URBAN Photo Award (Semifinalist, single image)
• Belfast Photo Festival (Shortlisted, project)
• FAPA (Nominee in Portrait category, single image)
• FAPA (Nominee in Conceptual Category, project)