An artist´s life.” The stories of the people behind the art #29 Maryna Gliebova

Maryna Gliebova, a photographer, traveler, and light-seeker based in Houston, invites us into her world of self-portraiture, memory, and quiet transformation. Through moments of migration, reinvention, and light chasing, she captures the emotional truth of womanhood in motion.

“I started taking self-portraits not because I wanted to look at myself, but because I wanted to see myself. That started early in my creative journey, when the camera became more than a tool — it became a way to have a conversation with myself.

I’ve been a photographer for over 17 years. I’ve captured many faces — families, brides, women rediscovering who they are. But throughout it all, I kept returning to self-portraiture. And it became significant after moving to a new country — when it felt like I had left behind my language, my name, my entire world. Photography helped me rebuild — through light, shadow, and feeling.

I used to run a photo studio and photography school in Europe. In 2014, I left it all behind and started over. Later, I launched a photography-travel project for women: we traveled to Morocco, Greece, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Poland, Montenegro, and beyond. We created portraits inspired by the culture and color of each place. That project ended during the pandemic.

“I photograph people — but what I’m really seeking is a moment of truth. A gesture. A breath. Something unguarded.”

Then came another move — this time to Houston. A new city, a new language, a new market. And again, a new beginning.

Through all of it, the only constant has been light. Light falling on a face. Light catching the edge of fabric. Shadows telling a story before the subject ever says a word.

People often describe my photography as emotional, atmospheric, cinematic. I work with light and mood. I photograph people — but what I’m really seeking is a moment of truth. A gesture. A breath. Something unguarded.

One of my most personal projects is called Silver Waves — a portrait series about women who’ve embraced their natural gray hair. Each shoot feels like a quiet celebration of strength and softness. There is something deeply powerful in these women. Their gray hair is never just gray — it holds the texture of their stories. Each wave, each streak, each silver strand feels like a life lived.

Self-portraiture is how I return to myself. Not as a role. Not as a product. But as a woman — in motion, in light, in transition.

I don’t shoot to be perfect. I shoot to remember true.”