Inna Etuvgi - The Horus Eye

THE HORUS EYE

A raindrop caught in the branches of a Cladonia stellaris lichen forms a shape that is hard to unsee — an eye. Watchful, ancient, recalling the protective symbol of the Eye of Horus.

When I first started photographing lichens, I was drawn to them because they looked alien. Only later, as I learned more — their symbiotic nature, their ability to survive in open space, their role as pioneers of life — I realized they are alien, in nearly every sense of the word. What began as imagination turned out to be fact — the line between dream and reality, blurred. And the Eye watches from exactly that threshold.

*The photograph is part of the “Alien” collection, which is a blend of unique photography and fine art showcasing the lichens' resilience, cosmic potential, and pioneering role in nature. This collection brought Etuvgi to the final of the 16th Arte Laguna Prize and was displayed at the finalists' exhibition in Venice's Arsenale.

ABOUT THE PRINT:

Type: Original Fine Art Print (Macro Photography)
Image Size: 30 x 40 cm
Paper Size: 33 x 43 cm
Paper: Archival Museum-quality paper, 100% cotton, 300gsm
Edition: 5/9
Authenticity: Signed and numbered by the artist; includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Condition: New, shipped directly from the artist's studio in Sweden.

OPTIONAL — MAT & READY-TO-FRAME PREPARATION

The print ships on its own, unmatted. If you’d like, I can mount it in a custom passepartout with a backing board, tailored to fit your frame perfectly.

I use pH-neutral archival materials and a reversible mount, so the print can always be removed without damage. This is an optional paid service — just message me for the price and details.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Inna Etuvgi is a Swedish-Chukchi art photographer and digital artist, internationally recognised as an Arte Laguna Prize finalist (Venice) and a recipient of the Swedish Arts Grants Committee grant. Born in a remote Arctic village in Chukotka and trained in technical cybernetics, she began her artistic practice in 2020 and has since exhibited across Europe — in Venice, London, Barcelona, Palermo, and San Marino.

Etuvgi lives with aphantasia — she cannot see images in her mind. Her camera and AI serve as extensions of her visual imagination, allowing her to create what she cannot picture internally. Through macro photography she enters the hidden worlds of mosses, lichens, and dewdrops; through digital art she gives form to psychological states and inner archetypes. Both are rooted in a deep sensitivity shaped by her Chukchi upbringing — an instinct to feel into every living thing.

As art critic Tabish Khan notes: "Her work transports us to other worlds — both real and imaginary, but always in harmony with nature."