diffused: maya
"I think one way to spot not just a good photographer, but a visionary, is their capacity to think of you outside of what they see. To imagine."
On my most recent trip to Japan, I had the pleasure of meeting Maya, whom I came across on Instagram from fellow Aussie photographer Nikka. An architect in the making, Maya decided to escape from the bleak and dreary misery that is the northeast US and embark on a journey of personal discovery in the land of the Rising Sun. We met in the hustle and bustle of the Harajuku streets, where we broke the ice by swapping stories regarding the events that had led us to meeting on this particular gloomy Monday.
By the end, our conversation evolved into discussions about the creative community and sharing the various challenges and triumphs that aspiring creatives such as ourselves often go through. It was eye-opening to hear her experiences in modeling in a foreign environment and her curiosity to push herself by taking on more conceptual projects. I discovered that, more or less, we are all fighting the same fight to better ourselves and deliver the best work we possibly can in this increasingly demanding industry.
Eventually, the conversations we had led me to start this project (titled "diffused") as a means of documenting the creative journeys of the talented individuals I've had the honour of meeting.
K: Hi Maya! Let's rewind a bit. How did you get here?
M: Just over a year ago, I moved to Tokyo knowing only one childhood friend living in the city. I had never modeled before and my Japanese was comparable to that of a well educated 6 year old. But, somehow, I found people in Tokyo.
I'm currently working as a freelance English teacher and a freelance model. Aspiring grad student (*inserts nervous smiley emoticon*) / full-time procrastinator.
Fun fact(s): I was named most likely to fall asleep anywhere by my high school ski team. Hmm and I won a water tasting competition in Japan when I was 11 and won free steak.
K: How does one jump into modeling in a place like Tokyo, considering you've never lived here before?
M: Through Instagram, I was able to connect with photographers living in the vast metropolis. I fell into an extensive and ever-changing photography community, full of people with passion, talent, and vision. I ended up shooting with a few photographers and going on new adventures. A few became more, and before long, I was modeling for a new photographer almost every week.
K: What would you say your style is?
M: A lot of our shoots revolved around capturing a darker city vibe, matching my personal wardrobe, which consists of a wide color range of blacks and grays. Because of that, people are always surprised when they meet me. For some reason, I’ve taken on an “edgy” aesthetic through my Instagram. I can’t help it; I don't take good candid photos and I like to wear black. Offline, I’m infinitely curious, rarely wear makeup, and you can usually find me eating. Yet my Instagram makes people think I’m cold. Pretentious, even.
As a result, people often have a carefully crafted image of what they want from me. They know the roles and aesthetics I can fill, but tend to think those are the only roles I can do. A lot of people want to shoot the same locations, get the same shots, replicate an urban vibe aesthetic, particularly those who are only passing through.
Admittedly, it grew tiring to be repeating a shoot. I wanted to grow! To challenge myself. To shoot something soft, something full of warm energy, something that would break away from the coldness I often portray.
K: What has been your fondest modeling experience so far?
M: A lot of my growth, I owe to a photographer I met pretty early on. Not only did she support me, but she saw me as a model, with the ability to wear different masks. It helped that, as a woman in a heavily male-dominated field, she could sympathize with what it was like to run up and down mountains in heels, how much time goes into applying makeup, and the pressure to be paper-thin in the fashion world. Through working with her, I was able to grow into this new skin of modeling and realize new styles.
K: If you could choose three photographers to shoot with in the future, who would you pick?
M: Okay, probably Taro is one of my faves. With the lavender hues, everything looks so dreamy but evokes real emotions.
I also really love @bokehture's work and the dreamy-ness of his double exposures. I feel like some people think double exposures are cheesy but I'm like, obsessed with them.
I've worked with Adrian already but I feel like his aesthetic is pretty aggressively dystopian. I love how edgy and minimal it is and that he has clear themes.
Okay so this is four, but Ivana's work is just always high fashion, editorial af and professional quality.
K: Looks like you've come a long way in just one year! What would you say has been your biggest take away from the whole journey so far?
M: Through this journey, I’ve found that if you want to create good work, you have to find people whose work you truly admire. I think one way to spot not just a good photographer, but a visionary, is their capacity to think of you outside of what they see. To imagine.
So to those that I have yet to meet, yet to create with, yet to laugh with, I’ll say this: Photography and modeling is about telling a story. Lets write something bold and new.
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Instagram: @mayasause
Photographs by Kent Wang
Edited by Shiyan Zheng