Maria Lax (b. 1987) comes from a small town in northern Finland. Now London-based, the photographer is known for spellbinding images that blend reality and fantasy. Experimental camera techniques turn plants and buildings into something otherworldly. Snow-laden trees appear like strange monoliths, obscured by magenta and blue stripes. Petals take on an uncanny, lurid tint, whilst monstera leaves glitter with pink water droplets. Nature becomes heightened, saturated and transfigured. Lax’s first monograph, Some Kind of Heavenly Fire, centred around UFO sightings in her homeland during the 1960s. “Some reacted to the mysterious lights with fear, some took them as a sign they were not alone.” Her second art book, Taken By The Tide (Nazraeli), is forthcoming. Lax’s cinematography background and recent move into directing is evident in portraits rich in narrative and emotion, with dappled shadows and washes of colour suggesting twists to the tale. @maria_lax_ | maria-lax.com

All images courtesy Maria Lax. Models: Nevena White, Abdourahman Njie, Katie Johnson, Agi Njie.