Yana Toyber, "Hinakuluiau (goddess of rain)," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in. (All images courtesy of the artist.)

By JEFFREY GRUNTHANER, JUNE 2016

Taken over the course of a year at different island locations, Yana Toyber's recent photographs are celebrations of femininity. In her own words, "there is a strong connection between women and water. In women and water there is the ability to birth new life." However precise her subject-matter, there's an open-endedness to her work. Mingling commercial photography with landscapes and portraiture, Toyber is sensitive to the inveterate difficulty of photographing nature in process. Her images feel spontaneous, otherworldly. Here are some favorites. WM  

Yana Toyber, "Haumea (goddess of child birth)," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Eternal," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.  

Yana Toyber, "Dreaming," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Breathless," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Kapo," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Starfish," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Red Dance," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Serenity," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.

Yana Toyber, "Water Dancers," underwater photography, 16 in. x 20 in.