Over Blue and White You Laid

Annika Kapral

A dramatic, high-contrast image shows a person lying curled up, face down, on a grassy patch. The figure, dressed in dark clothes, is brightly lit by a circular beam of light, while the rest of the frame is enveloped in deep, impenetrable darkness, creating a somber and isolated mood.

Over Blue and White You Laid is a reflection on time, memory and change. Having
experienced a multitude of living situations in the past four years, from living alone to
with roommates, or with family, the constant state of packing up and reinventing the
environment that surrounds me has been both inspiring and isolating. The state of
impermanence always leaves behind a bittersweet taste.

I look forward with anticipation to what’s to come, but with a great nostalgia too for what
was before. This project yields as an emotional mirroring of the continuous changes of
adulthood, and the unknown that surrounds us all in our twenties.

I have been navigating this nonlinear terrain where fragments of memory are left behind
in the walls, and doors are closed shut for the last time. Each moment that passes us is
fleeting; even as I grasp to hold it tighter, it will always slip through my hands.

If it were up to me, I’d let each moment linger a little longer, and keep every light from
sliding through the cracks. But everything that surrounds us is in a constant flux. Those
evanescent moments are what expose these emotions.

These images reveal the solitude that follows us after every change, and the
hopefulness that inspires us to love the ephemeral.

About The Artist

A head-and-shoulders portrait of a light-skinned person with short, dark, slightly messy hair, looking directly into the camera with a neutral expression. They have a silver septum ring, a philtrum piercing, and a labret piercing, along with several silver hoop earrings. They are dressed in a dark, possibly denim, jacket over a white or light-colored t-shirt. Two necklaces are visible: one with a silver dagger-like pendant and another with a silver nameplate. The background is a soft-focus landscape featuring a calm body of water under a clear sky that transitions from light blue to a pale, warm hue at the horizon, suggesting dawn or dusk.

Annika Kapral

Annika Kapral is a Toronto-based photographer and artist who focuses on conceptual and contemporary work. They portray their own life experiences with queerness, and process change through visual art. With a history of painting, life drawing and photography, they are drawn to the human form, exploring the texture and unity within humans and the world around them. Kapral invites you into feeling the fleeting human experience, and immerses you into their own exploration. They investigate themes of intimacy, identity, nature and the queer gaze, allowing them to translate their personal language into photographs.

Return to Thesis Projects
Scroll to Top