With her latest exhibition, photographer Lilli Waters invites you into a surreal and ethereal underwater world – where fish dwell among opulent florals, and provide a metaphor for the illusion of beauty and life. Through this stylised series of fine art photographs the Melbourne-based creative explores concepts like fragility, futility and the acute vulnerability of nature at the hands of humans.

An avid swimmer, even in the cooler months, Lilli has always been obsessed with water, and more recently, underwater photography piqued her interest. ‘I’m also fascinated with the beauty and complexity of plants, which merged into the idea of “how could I photograph florals underwater?”,’ she told.

Her resultant images are reminiscent of still-life paintings, colourful and vibrant, with iridescent elements that make the unique compositions all the more intriguing. Also lurking in her frames, are manmade materials, like plastic. ‘The plastic itself has a certain beauty, but inherent in its presence alongside the living sea creatures is a darker more destructive element, which hints at disposable culture and the effects of this on our planet,’ Lilli explained.

Deviating from her past work, where she often utilises natural light and focuses on female subjects, this series was shot in a studio using artificial lighting and quite an elaborate setup. ‘It required months of planning, more technical problem solving than usual, and Photoshop, which is often a big part of my process,’ she told.

We first sighted Lilli’s stunning work when we featured her home earlier in the year – it’s likely to be one of the most popular for 2017 too! – and can’t wait to peruse this new series in a gallery setting!

‘Plastic Fish’ by Lilli Waters
September 21^st to October 4^th
Opening Night September 21^st, from 6-8pm
Junior Space
65 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne

For more of Lilli Waters’ work, visit her website, here.