Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Joanna Shama is a Swiss-Israeli photographer. She currently lives in Tel-Aviv.
One day, at a very young age, her father introduced to her the mysteries of the Rolleiflex, and just like that, her curiosity was captured forever. A natural dreamer, Joanna became aware of her emerging passion during her school years, where her glances through the window, enchanted her far more than the lessons! Very quickly photography became her chosen way of expressing herself, using a static means to express movement and spirit.
Nature is at the heart of her work. Conveying the essence of Life, being her utmost goal. Joanna focuses on subjects that through her eye, tend to abstraction.
Photography is a means for the artist to pay homage to natural movement: she is enamored with nature's vulnerability and yet weaved within her work, are the ideas of its resilience, philosophy and wisdom. Joanna is interested in the symbolism and polarities represented by the landscape and its elements; in the stories of their past, present, and future, and in the exploration of our relationship with the natural environment.
"Joanna is an artist - she spontaneously sees what people would ignore". No matter her equipment of choice, her photos tell stories about Life or reveal close-ups of nature that are invisible to the naked eye".
Née à Alexandrie en Egypte, Joanna Shama est une photographe Suisse-Israélienne qui vit actuellement à Tel-Aviv.
Un jour, son père lui dévoile les mystères du mythique Rolleiflex, et c'est la révélation.
La Nature est au coeur de son oeuvre. Joanna se concentre sur l'essence de la vie qu'elle capture en rentrant dans l'image à la manière d'un peintre. Son regard compose un tableau qui la rapproche de sa réalité, de son état d'esprit au moment où elle déclenche sa prise. Contrairement aux photos statiques qui figent l'instant, ç'est le mouvement qui l'intéresse. Personne ne peut arrêter ni le vent ni la lumière. La photographie lui permet de briser les chaînes invisibles qui l'entravaient secrètement. En hébreu, le mot Rouakh a deux significations: Esprit, Inspiration ou Souffle mais également Le Vent. La diversité des éléments, des couleurs et des matières l'interpellent.
A travers son objectif, ç'est la propre réalité de l'artiste qui se révèle ainsi que sa vulnérabilité!
"Joanna est une artiste - qui spontanément voit, ressens et écoute.... Ses photographies sont tout à la fois des tranches de Vie ou des morceaux de Nature "invisibles à l'oeil nu". - Dixit Ronald Lévy, collectioneur de photographies.