Mateatme

Intercru spoke with photographer and nature lover Vilma Aliukonyte about her work and passion. Read more about how nature inspires her and how she uses her work to empower others.

Intercru: Where are you from?

Vilma: Originally I was born and raised in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Where do you live and work now?

I am a child of the world. Currently I am located in Barcelona, Spain.

How did you get started in photography?

Since I was in high school I was trying to understand what beauty is in my own innocent way and how to share it with others. They have been calling me a photographer. I have been always running away from the labels. Why can’t we be universal? This time I cannot escape it, I guess. You are someone before you even know it. Photography has always fascinated me. It has changed a lot during the period of time. It is a living organism.

You mention in your Instagram bio your love of the mountains and the sea...what about them inspires you?

It’s freedom. It might sound cliché, but nature is my biggest inspiration. I always find so much tranquility and calmness. It is very hypnotizing. It soaks me in like some sort of vortex. It makes me vulnerable, naked, and curious at the same time. 

The feeling it gives to me is indescribable. It makes me go back to my childhood. While growing up, I used to spend a lot of time in the nature and countryside, forest was my best friend. Coming from the country where mountains were not a thing. The fact that differences attract is not a myth. I am grateful to be able to live in such a lush place, surrounded by the sea, mountains, never ending green fields full of life and mystery.

How would you define your creative style?

Nature and human essence are the two main topics that my photography explores. Aesthetics are the core of it. I am in the process of trying to identify my style. Vulnerability and realness, while being comfortable in your own skin are the aspects I feel like unveiling through my photography.

For you, what makes the perfect photo?

A feeling it gives. I love when people get goosebumps. It is like a good music you listen to, or you do something for the very first time. It might scare you and excite you at the very beginning, but once you succeed the feeling is amazing.

Vilma Aliukonyte is a Barcelona-based fashion and portrait photographer. To see more of her photography, follow her work on Instagram @mateatme.

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