Artist Statement

I was drawn to photography from a young age, but at that time, being a photographer wasn’t considered a path. As I also had an interest in the human body, I became a physiotherapist.

In my last year of college, while studying for a neurology exam, I was walking down the library hall when I saw a poster for a photography course. It said, “Photography as a way to communicate.” An epiphany.

I took a photography course, where I discovered Diane Arbus and Sally Mann. Their work opened my eyes — strange and a bit unsettling. I realized photography is not only about beauty; it’s a way of communicating.

Afterward, I attended film school in Belgrade to study cinematography. There, I gained a deeper understanding of lighting and visual storytelling.

As an introvert, before I found photography, I struggled to express myself. Through surreal self-portraits, I found my voice and began to communicate — not just with others through my work, but with myself.

The process is intimate. I capture emotions that mirror what I feel. I don’t show my face in my work, leaving space for others to see themselves.

My artworks are surreal self-portraits, emerging from a quiet, dreamlike atmosphere.

Although I began making art to express my own feelings, I’ve found it speaks to others as well.

Bio 

Maja Planinac is a fine art photographer based in San Francisco. Before becoming a fine art photographer, she studied physiotherapy in Belgrade, Serbia. There, she developed a deep interest in the human body and emotion. During her studies, she discovered photography as a way to explore the intangible, seeing emotion as both physical and abstract. This curiosity led her to study cinematography at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at the University of Arts in Belgrade, where she deepened her understanding of visual storytelling and light.

Through her photography, she explores the space between raw and refined, real and surreal, personal and public.