Photography & Mixed Media by Brian Miller and Iliyana Skrobanska
May 2-30, 2025
Photography & Mixed Media by Brian Miller and Iliyana Skrobanska
Opening reception: Friday, May 2, 5:00-9:00 PM
Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat (May 3 and 10 only), 10-1. Closed on Mon May 26 for the holiday.
Additional hours: Thu May 8, 5-7 PM (Gallery 1010 opening)
Husband and wife duo, Brian Miller and Iliyana Skrobanska, present a new exhibition of photography and fiber art/mixed media.
Brian Miller – Artist Statement
My journey started with trips to the Everglades and multi week family vacations that ignited my wanderlust. My brother and I couldn’t wait to collect maps along the way to plot our course. I can remember my first camera, a Minolta SRT 201, that I purchased as a teen. Now I had something to document our trips, whether it be up north in the Canadian Rockies or down south in the Arizona desert.
Along the way, I got a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology studying moose in the North Woods of New Hampshire. Twenty five years ago, after working as an environmental consultant in southern Louisiana, I figured out how to turn my urge to travel into a full-time photography business. Through my photography, I strive to capture the aesthetic beauty of this world that hopefully resonates with the viewer on an emotional level. My first book, Birds of the Gulf Coast, was published by Louisiana State University Press in 2001. My photos have appeared in numerous magazines, calendars, and books including National Wildlife magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Natural History, Wildlife Conservation, BrownTrout, and Audubon. National Geographic considered me one of “our finest…photographers,” and I was a featured photographer in their 2000 book Heart of a Nation: Writers and Photographers Inspired by the American Landscape.
I am extremely fortunate now to have a life partner with an adventurous soul that has
equally itchy feet. This past October she was my personal guide as we traveled to her fascinating home country of Bulgaria. I am afraid to ask if she enjoys getting up at 4am for a sunrise, or staying up all night to photograph the northern lights. We never know where our next journey will take us, whether it be the backstreets of London or the plains of Africa, but perhaps my photography will inspire others to get out and see the world with fresh eyes and to not take for granted the gift of life.
For many years, painting and creating art were Iliyana Skrobanska’s hobbies: a side activity to her main occupation as a fashion designer and business owner. Her favorite media has always been fiber art and painting with acrylic, and she gradually combined them into one. By stitching pieces of felt onto a painted canvas to create a 3-D effect, or by creating a surface from handmade felt and painting it with acrylic, she emphasizes texture and multidimensionality. Her artworks can look different from different angles, and abstract art is her chosen language because of its ability to trigger the imagination. Skrobanska loves traveling and hiking, drawing inspiration from natural beauty such as landscapes, sunsets, rock walls, and even flowers. She has lived in Knoxville since 2018 and is a full-time, award-winning artist, busy with many art festivals.
https://www.iliyana.art | Instagram @iliyanaskrobanska
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