Ira Hendricks-Apelyushynskyy is a newcomer to photography, entering the field not through formal education or awards, but through a deep and personal fascination with art itself. Professionally, she works as an artist manager for chefs, musicians, and visual artists, where her role is to support and shape creative journeys. Photography, however, has become her own medium of expression — a private artistic practice that allows her to step out of management and into creation.
Her work focuses on portraits, with a particular emphasis on women. Ira’s images explore the layers of beauty, power, and societal misjudgments that women often face. Rather than simply depicting a subject, she seeks to reinterpret cultural myths, personal stories, and archetypes, placing women at the center of her visual narratives. Strength and vulnerability, rebellion and elegance, intimacy and distance — her photographs exist in these tensions.
As a self-taught artist, Ira is motivated purely by inspiration, curiosity, and the transformative power of art. Without the weight of institutional training, she approaches photography with freedom and instinct. Each image becomes an exploration of identity and perception, reflecting her belief that art can both challenge and empower. For Ira, photography is not a career — it is a calling.