WINDSCAPES
exploring winds through abstract photography
About the project
A nomadic artist in an unfamiliar environment, instead of collecting postcard views, has a more specific focus, seeking to represent an engagement in the decentralization of the self. As a photographer, one can explore the disturbance of the habitual placement of personality by being enveloped by the unfamiliar as a means of expression. This can be linked to the experience of the place itself and the mythologies that are connected to its history.
Lily Toushek completed her practice led PhD research at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory, Australia on the possible representations of ancient mythologies about winds around the world through abstract photography.
Artist statement
Lily Toushek was born in Bulgaria in 1979, during the final decade of socialism in Eastern Europe. She grew up in a family passionate about photography and took her first steps in image-making under her father's guidance. His sudden passing during her adolescence, coinciding with Bulgaria’s transition to democracy, profoundly shaped her search for identity and artistic expression. Photography became both a creative language and a way to connect with the past.
Her strong sense of justice led her to earn a double master's degree in Law and International Relations, working in human rights and humanitarian law. However, her deep need for creative expression brought her back to the visual arts, and she pursued a master's degree in History of Arts and Photography at the National Arts Academy in Sofia. She later completed a practice-based PhD in photography at Charles Darwin University in Australia, focusing on visual storytelling, mythologies, and human experience, with a growing interest in visual anthropology and documentary narratives.
Toushek is fascinated by the hidden meanings in landscapes revealed by ancient myths. Her passion for storytelling, windsurfing, and travel inspired a series of photo essays on wind and sea myths. After returning to Bulgaria during the coronavirus pandemic, she began working as a photojournalist, covering daily events for Dnevnik Daily. Through her work, she documents the shifting political and social landscape of her home country, focusing on the personal stories that shape it. Her deep interest in visual anthropology drives her to explore human experiences, resilience, and the unseen layers of everyday life.
Windscapes
Other
Contact
Currently in Sofia, Bulgaria