Artist Spotlight: Slava Semeniuta

Bringing neon colors to photography.

Slava Semeniuta is a photographer and designer whose inspirations run the gamut from dinosaurs (back when he first learned to draw), to sci-fi, nature, and National Geographic magazines. One of his greatest loves is neon colors — those shades you might only find in the deep sea or deep in space. He infuses his work with fluorescence, and the result is beautifully, mysteriously surreal. Slava’s creative work includes logos, posters, and album covers.

Hi Slava, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your creative background?

I was born in Siberia, but two years after my birth my mother moved with me to Minsk, Belarus.

Three years ago I moved to Sochi, in the South of Russia, to be inspired by nature. There is the sea, mountains, waterfalls, palm trees, and many other subtropical plants.

When I was a kid, my mom used to take me to work. She was a high school fine arts teacher. Perhaps it was precisely in those moments that I got interested in art through drawing. While my mother taught her students, I sat and painted what I wanted. I copied dinosaurs, fish, crabs, insects, and sand dunes with cacti that I found in encyclopedias in the classroom.

In my work, I am most interested in something unusual, something that I can’t see here and now. As I grew older, space and science fiction became more and more interesting to me.

Image source: Behance.

How would you describe your style?

I would call my style Acidic Realism or Neon Surrealism. My photos show ordinary objects which are displayed in unusual ways.****

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find my inspiration everywhere and in everything. I am inspired by nature, science fiction, and fashion. I really like to look unusual in my personal style at the expense of cool clothes and accessories, but I’m not a collector of clothes and things. I minimize the number of things I have.

What music do you listen to while working?

While working, I most often listen to electronic music: ambient and drone. It helps me relax and focus on creating art. I love electronic music in which there is almost no vocal component because songs with vocals focus the listener on the meaning of the words. They don’t give vent to imagination.

Image source: Behance.

Right now on Adobe’s blog we’re talking about how multilocalism is impacting the visual arts. Is it influencing your work?

With the help of a global network, artists can share their work in different parts of the universe. A person who does not have the capacity to travel can see what artists, photographers, sculptors, and other artists and scientists, create and be inspired by many points of view from around the world. Multiculturalism helps us to see an infinite number of things we couldn’t before.

What do you like most about working with Adobe Stock?

When I use Adobe Stock, I really appreciate the overall design and the excellent results I get every time I search.

I am sure that we will notice more and more bright acid colors, as well as minimalism and realism.

Image source: Behance.

What has been your biggest challenge to overcome as a designer and illustrator?

For me, the hardest part is when I have nothing to occupy my mind. A person must be self-sufficient so that he can feel comfortable and harmonious no matter what environment he is in. To do this, every moment you need to develop your inner world and not forget about the balance with the physical body.

When you create something, you expand the universe within yourself. The bigger this inner universe is, the more interesting it is to live in.

Image source: Behance.

Many thanks to Slava for opening up to us about how he works, and the inspirations behind his magical, neon style. For more of Slava’s art, check out his portfolio on Behance and Instagram.

For more information and inspiration about multilocalism, read our trend report and browse our curated gallery.