Eva-Marie Amiya is a Photographer based in Southern California.

Brief Bio:

Eva-Marie is a Southern California-based photography and mixed-media artist whose works explore personal narratives, symbolism, and the interplay between beauty and discomfort. Originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, she spent her formative high school years at the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, where an influential art teacher, Connie Jost, first exposed her to various artistic styles and mediums through immersive field trips to SoHo, New York City. This early foundation sparked a lifelong passion for creative exploration.

Eva-Marie studied Fashion Merchandising and Design at Brooks College in Southern California, briefly working as an assistant designer and buyer in the fashion industry. Eventually, her curiosity led her back to academia, where she pursued a degree in International Finance with a focus on Art and Antiquities. During this time, she discovered metalsmithing, life drawing, and sculpture - but it was photography that ultimately transformed her creative path.

Photography became Eva-Marie’s visual language: a tool to express the symbolic and emotional fragments of her inner world. Her work often draws on her background in art history and theology, infusing her imagery with layered meanings and references to the sacred and historical. Through mixed media rooted in alternative photography processes, she continues to push both personal and societal boundaries, exploring themes such as identity, aging, connection, and the quiet search for peace amidst complexity.

Eva-Marie’s work challenges viewers to confront the beauty in vulnerability and invites reflection on the deeper aspects of the human experience.

Artist Statement:

My work is driven by a deep passion for exploring complex themes with both curiosity and intensity. At the heart of my practice is a desire to challenge boundaries - personal, cultural, and societal - while remaining grounded in elements of history and religion that have shaped who I am. These references often surface subtly within my pieces, providing layers of context and depth that invite viewers to look closer and think critically.

I am particularly drawn to subjects that provoke discomfort or reflection, and I aim to render them with a sense of unexpected beauty. In doing so, I hope to open a space for dialogue - between the artwork and the viewer, and within the viewer themselves. Beauty, to me, is not an escape but a tool for engagement.

At times, I allow myself to create work that leans into serenity and calmness, recognizing the importance of balance and the influence of our environment. Whether confronting or comforting, each piece is an attempt to connect, question, and transform.