NEW YORK, NY.- The first U.S. solo exhibition of New York-based photographer Markus Nikol’a Mironovic is on view December 3 through January 4, 2021, at SLA Art Space. Titled “Men of Beauty,” the exhibition features nine large-scale, black-and-white photographs from Mironovic’s upcoming book of the same name. Created over the last ten years, the works showcase the photographer’s interest in the subjects of the male physicality, identity, and personality.

Born in Estonia and raised in Lithuania, Mironovic began his career in the early 2000’s as a fashion photographer, working on collaborations with brands and fashion editorials for regional and international publications. He soon discovered that he was more interested in capturing the individuality and identity of the models, rather than treating them as a canvas. With Peter Lindbergh as one of his main influences, Mironovic began to create photographs that explored the transitional spaces between fashion, portraiture and nude, engaging in a two-way process with his models. Collaborations with male subjects have been among his most successful. Mironovic’s intuitive understanding of the male body—with its lines, shadows and energies—is coupled with his genuine interest in his subjects’ humanity, resulting in an ongoing series of striking, intimate images of men that often reveal an unexpected, yet authentic, side of their personality.

“I found that the topic of the male beauty often either leaves people uncomfortable or is allocated to the realm of erotica,” says Mironovic. “When talking about beauty, we often neglect to consider the whole person: the face and the body, sure, -- but also his inner life, character, strength, fragility… The beauty is in this complexity, that’s what I’m striving to show in this series.”

Mironovic casts people that inspire him, and his subjects range from professional models to friends to strangers who’ve caught his eye on the street. The exhibition covers the range of Mironovic’s work to date, beginning with his first photograph made in New York (Kyle, 2013) and ending with a powerful portrait of a spiritual teacher (The Master, 2020).

“I especially like working with strong, somewhat reserved personalities,” says Mironovic. “They present a particular challenge, and the process can be grueling. But more often than not, the guard eventually comes down and that what’s uncovered—playfulness, peculiarities, inner joy, innocence—takes people by surprise… For a photographer, watching a person disarm and gift his beauty is incredibly rewarding.”

“Men of Beauty” exhibition is open Thursday-Saturday, 4-8 pm, by appointment only.

Markus Nikol’a Mironovic is a photographer who captures the character of the model. The face without the mask. His mission is to show the extraordinary focus and clarity in the simple act of being.

Markus began his career in Lithuania, working at the studio of acclaimed photographer, Tomas Kauneckas. With a hunger for travel and a need to understand cultural influences, he found his vision on the streets of Paris, the cafes of Barcelona, the architecture of Rome.

Coming to New York City, he fell in love with the passion and persistence of so many ways of life under one roof and decided to make it his home.