TEN YEARS IN IRELAND - Photography by Lidija Ivanek SiLa

On Valentine’s Day ten years ago, my husband brought me to Ireland
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When everything you dreamed of
Seems like it’s just too awfully far,
And the whispered voice of doubt
Has been engrained in who you are,
Do not curse the distance
For it provides the time to grow,
What would be the point of dreams
If you could reach them in one go?
Erin Hunter
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We arrived in Ireland on Valentine’s Day in 2015. Ten years ago I sold all my camera equipment and for the first year, I photographed with my mobile phone. This is a selection from Ireland collection.
Looking back made me realise that those pieces of art that bear emotion survived the test of time. Emotion for me as a creator. If anyone else finds themselves in them, it will make me tremendously happy. It was never about sharpness, equipment etc.
If you are an artist, you will have the need to create. Always. Everywhere and all the time, with whatever you have at hand.
It is a God given ability that you can bury deep inside of you for a while, but it will boil and spill outside of you pretty quickly as it can’t be silent. Art is a part of my being. It keeps me sane, in the insane world.
2015, the year of arrival. Everything was so foreign. Driving on the left with our LWD van for the first time. We took our wolfdog Casper with us, and he was part of our family for 15 years. I often photograph animals, as they are always part of my life. I am a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, among other things. It is my love of animals that took me on that path. After I stopped practicing medicine, I continued to paint, draw, and photograph animals.
At one point, you will notice aerial photographs (taken with our drone), analog, film photography (as I think that film carries special feeling).
Life was going on. I’ve joined several art communities. There was a lot of exploration and artistic experimentation. There were exhibitions, workshops.
Some years were more prolific in photography, others in other art categories.
But then 2020 arrived. That was the year of COVID and in Ireland that meant very limited movement and contacts with other people. An isolation.
In 2024 a significant shift happened, my photography is now filled with people, more than before. February 14th, 2025, marks exactly 10 years in Ireland. The experience transformed me, and I will never be the same.
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All photos are mine and any unauthorised use is prohibited
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