Stand Ajar

The Soul should always stand ajar
That if the Heaven inquire
He will not be obliged to wait
Or shy of troubling Her

Depart, before the Host have slid
The Bolt unto the Door—
To search for the accomplished Guest,
Her Visitor, no more—
Emily Dickinson

Like an aperture in a camera, the heart should remain open, allowing the brilliance of light to flood in and illuminate the artist’s vision.

Eva Vasilyeva, reflecting on a conversation with her writer friend, recalls being urged not to conceal the ardor within the heart, but rather to share it with the world. Although her friend passed away during the pandemic, the luminosity of his words propelled the photographer to unveil art projects that had long been concealed.

The photography series Stand Ajar is emotionally charged, inviting viewers to delve into the depths of human vulnerability and the frailty of life in which Eva Vasilyeva finds the possibility and necessity of creative expression as an essential aspect of the human experience.