Photographer Laura Pannack finds inspiration in a Romanian folk tale

London-based photographer Laura Pannack will exhibit a new body of work Youth Without Age, Life Without Death: Chapter 1 at the Francesca Maffeo Gallery next month. The work is inspired by a Romanian folk tale that follows a young prince on a quest for eternal life. The work, which was created over the past four years and shot on expired film, presents the viewer with mysterious landscapes, portraits and still lives that pose questions about life and death. Together they create a sober and absorbing narrative loaded with atmosphere and meaning, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.

“I needed to escape, to begin an adventure in my search for meaningful answers. The country’s hazy purple evening light and untouched land allowed me to gather my thoughts,” says Laura. “I began to think about how I could visually explore the idea of life and death, that is when I stumbled across the folk tale Youth Without Age and Life Without Death.”

Youth Without Age and Life Without Death: Chapter 1. opens at the Francesca Maffeo Gallery on 22 October.