YAN LIENSHYN: My Mission Is To Be a Voice Of Ukrainian Art In The World

YAN LIENSHYN is a Ukrainian photographer and cinematographer whose worldview – and artistic vision – was profoundly reshaped by the ongoing russian-Ukrainian war, now lasting more than eleven years. His works have been published in international magazines such as MALVIE, STYLÉCRUZE USA, GMARO, Eclair, Darkly Art, Looplite, BOYS BOYS BOYS BOYS, Vigour, 6X, Spellbound, World Encounter, Beautica.

According to the photographer, there is always something personal in his projects. He strives to intertwine aesthetic beauty with truth.

Lienshyn continuously walks the line between extremes, merging beauty with chaos – as seen in his photo project “Jocker” – as well as pain with ascent, and other emotional dualities.

Yan shared insights with Drive Music Media about the beginnings of his journey in photography, his artistic vision, and the impact the war has had on his creative identity.

Interviewer: How and when did your journey in photography begin? Why did you choose this field?

Yan: My journey in photography began about three years ago, during the full-scale invasion. It was a time when many familiar things lost their meaning, and I needed to find something that would help me keep going. Photography became a way for me to process reality – to see not only pain but also light.

I started working with video, but over time I realized that photography allows you to freeze a moment and convey what words cannot. Eventually, it became not just a craft, but a need – to create images that give people peace, hope, and remind them that beauty exists even in the hardest times.

Interviewer: What do you focus on when planning a shoot and when you first see a person? What is your creative process like?

Yan: For me, the most important thing is not a perfect shot, but the state of the person in the moment. When planning a shoot, I think not only about light or framing, but about the feeling I want to leave behind. During the shoot, I try to sense the person – their rhythm, vulnerability, and strength. It’s crucial for me that they open up, so that authenticity, not a pose, appears in the frame. Creativity, for me, is not a process but a dialogue – between me, the camera, and the soul of the person in front of me.

Interviewer: Tell us about your first published work in a fashion magazine.

Yan: My first publication was inspired by the film Joker. I wanted to convey not the external aesthetic, but a state – where chaos and beauty can exist side by side. I shot it almost entirely alone: no team, no professional makeup, everything done by myself. When I learned that this series had been accepted by a French magazine, I was sitting in a biology class. It was a real sense of victory – the moment I realized that even a small idea can grow into significant recognition.

Interviewer: What do photo contests mean to you?

Yan: For me, participating in photo contests is a small but very meaningful victory. I used to be an athlete, so I understand the feeling of having a goal, competing, and seeing results. Even though photography isn’t a competition, every publication or magazine feature is proof that I am growing, moving forward, and that my work can resonate in the world.

It’s not just a personal achievement, but a way to bring Ukrainian art to an international level. When people around the world see your photos, it motivates even more – because you’re not only representing yourself, but a piece of your culture.

Interviewer: Which film festivals have you participated in?

Yan: I have participated in several festivals, including Cinema in Five Days, where I won Best Cinematography, and the international festival Prologue, whose results are still pending. These projects helped me combine photography and cinema – to feel how a frame can live in motion, how light transitions into narrative.

Interviewer: What are your professional boundaries? What will you never capture with your camera?

Yan: I avoid shoots that go against humanity, demean, or distort a person’s essence. But sometimes, to truly communicate something to society, you need to push yourself – to capture what hurts, what is uncomfortable to see, but what needs to be addressed. Photography has the power to open eyes, even when it’s painful. I respect that power.

Interviewer: What projects are you working on now?

Yan: Currently, I am working with my team, Lienshyn Production. We are creating not just videos or photos – we are working with stories, with meaning. There are a few projects I cannot reveal yet, but they will become important steps in my creative and international development. This is no longer just experimentation – it’s a deliberate building of our visual DNA.

Interviewer: How do you feel about stylized shoots? Why do you prefer natural ones?

Yan: I see stylized shoots as an opportunity to create visual harmony and carefully plan every detail. But what remains closest to me are natural stories – when everything happens spontaneously, when light falls accidentally, and emotion is real. In these moments, life remains, something that cannot be faked with staging.

Interviewer: What word do you associate with your photography?

Yan: Probably three words – tenderness, elegance, and chaos. Because it is in this trio that true art is born: where softness meets energy, and spontaneity meets aesthetics. In every frame, I try to find this balance, this moment when the world looks honest.

Interviewer: What is your mission as a Ukrainian photographer?

Yan: My mission is to be a voice for Ukrainian art in the world – to show that we carry not only pain and war, but also depth, sensitivity, and beauty. Through my work, I strive to convey light even when everything around is dark. Because photography is also a form of resistance. And every frame can stand as proof that we exist.

Pictures were provided by Yan Lienshyn