Daily Inspiration: Meet Gabriela Iancu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Iancu.

Hi Gabriela, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
When looking back on my childhood, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing or painting. I became obsessed with painting from a botanical atlas and was dreaming about exploring the world.

Despite my passion for painting, I found photography to be a more immediate medium for expressing my ideas. So in 2009, I started my journey as a self-taught photographer, focusing on editorial food photography. I’ve always had a fascination with still-life paintings, and this passion naturally carried over into my photography work. I love constructing scenes in front of the camera and imagining stories, so shooting still-lifes felt very natural to me.

My unique approach to food photography – utilizing natural elements as props and creative compositions – helped me build a diverse and impressive portfolio. This, in turn, led me to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Photography at SCAD, where I was able to expand my creative practice and explore other mediums such as sculpture, filmmaking, and design. The MFA program allowed me to explore the world of still-life photography from various perspectives, whether that be fine arts, advertising, or editorial.

After graduation, I saw an opportunity to use my skills to create content in unique ways. I wanted to express my creativity in photography, design, and motion, so I naturally evolved my photography into a multidisciplinary practice. I began creating both still and moving content for clients, from still-life to product photography, cinematography, short films, and editorial design or illustrations.

From the very beginning, I wanted to be in a whole new generation of visual storytellers, where I wouldn’t be limited by a discipline or a title, and where my work would be both authentic and purposeful. Fast forward a few years, and I’m now a multidisciplinary photographer investigating the relationship between humanity and nature, climate, and space at the intersection of photography, design, and motion.

I am also a Senior Visual Content Designer at Adobe, where I continue to push my creativity. My artistic inspiration comes from nature, space exploration, and the meaning of “home”, as I seek to capture the beauty of the world around us and our connection to it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I believe that as an artist, discovering your voice and purpose is often the most challenging thing. It can be difficult to generate ideas and find the time to execute them. However, I feel that the things that excite us the most in life, our interests, values, and how we react to them, are reflected in our work. It’s important to be realistic about what we can do with the time and resources we have, and this can help us stay committed in the long run.

I learned early on that I shouldn’t rely on gear to make my ideas happen. Instead, I focused on mastering the creative tools that were in my control, which gave me the skills and advantage I needed. It’s more important to be able to create on the go, even with just a phone, than to depend on things that you can’t control. Experimenting and putting your ideas out there is key.

For example, I started taking pictures of Earth from my window seat during long flights with just my phone. The breathtaking views from my airplane window left me in complete awe and I wanted to capture all that beauty right at that moment. I was so inspired by that vantage point that I felt that my horizons were expanding, so I created a whole series around it.

This project draws inspiration from the Overview Effect, a cognitive shift in awareness that astronauts experience when viewing Earth from space. I did not venture to space, but those aerial views and the airplane window became a beautiful metaphor for exploring and expanding our horizons and our way of thinking.

In that moment I realized that art should be about sharing a different perspective with others and inspiring them to make a difference too, either in the way they work, live, or create.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My approach to photography has been heavily influenced by the techniques used in painting, particularly in terms of composition, lighting, and the use of colors to evoke strong emotions and create a lasting impact on the viewer.

While working with the spatial constraint of the photographic medium, I became fascinated with the photographic archives of NASA and their incredible potential for creativity. I was so excited the moment I saw the historical photographs and footage from the Apollo 11 era. I wanted to find a way to celebrate this remarkable legacy while also exploring the power of creativity. This led me to embark on a journey of discovery, exploring space both within and beyond the confines of the photographic medium.

After much research, I created Apollo 11, a short documentary film that was recognized by NASA CineSpace in 2019 and was streamed on the International Space Station, NASA TV, and Australia’s Space Channel. Through this film, I was able to share the story of our first moon landing in a way that was both visually stunning and emotionally resonant. I wanted to creatively capture what space exploration means to me as someone who didn’t witness the Space Age firsthand. Considering our history and using archival content isn’t just about looking back; it’s a way to think about the future. We need to share ideas about things that might seem abstract and find ways to work together to make them happen.

Two years later, the incredible story of the International Space Station and the human space journeys that led to its creation fascinated me so much that inspired my next short film “Welcome to Space” which was recognized at NASA CineSpace in 2022 and has been screened at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and Space Center Houston.

At the heart of my work is this deep commitment to exploring narratives that offer unique perspectives and express complex ideas that become easier to understand through visuals that have a lasting impact on the viewer. I believe that space exploration offers us a powerful opportunity to embrace complexity, resilience, adaptability, and collaboration. The mystery of outer space has the potential to inspire people across cultures and nations, and it serves as a reminder to rethink the way we connect and the planet.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
During the COVID period, I started painting abstract landscapes with magnetic fluid. Playing with magnetic fields in different colors, I wanted to visually capture their random connections. The resulting photographs reflect the evolutionary processes that shaped our planet and highlight the interconnectedness we all share on Earth.

These colorful worlds reminded me of Earth and the vast cosmic space, and how connected we are despite feeling disconnected. I hope this work encourages us to pause and think about our place in the universe, showcasing the power of creativity to expand our perspectives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gabrielaiancu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielaiancu/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaiancu/