“My two weeks at Joya:AiR were so beautiful that it is hard to fully describe in words yet also a source I will endlessly tap to write about, on and on.

In August, in the dry and dramatic Parque Natural Sierra María, I met my most authentic self while sweating in the heat of the day and laid out under the blanket of the Milky Way. My heart was flaked with gold by the people who I spent my time with at Joya. I was filled with joy and bliss every day.

The magnificence of Joya: AiR is in the balance of all things. There was no commute for any element of my day. Every evening, the dinner together allowed me to have a genuine social connection each day. I could choose to retreat into my studio or room for pure solitude when desired or run up to the top of the hill, encountering new sights every step of the way and not a single person. I could linger around the common space or kitchen if I wanted company or conversation. I had absolutely no problem doing exactly what I wanted each day, every moment. I could follow my intuition and desires. For my art and whole self, this was the most important and powerful piece of my time at JOYA.

There I learned how I often make pictures of things in order to look closer at something that catches my eye, mind and heart. I photograph things that I want to spend more time with but unclear on why I’m drawn to photographing them in the first place. Clarity comes only when it’s pictured and processed through a series of sketches, writings, and revisits. At Joya, I made many pictures of love before I even knew what was there. I spent time exploring forms and objects in sumptuous light. I attempted to watercolor and photograph directly from any stuck feelings in my mind and body, which appeared in repeated circular forms. Rocks, limes, circles, death, hands, sun. In the shelter of the studio, I also learned that dancing is a deeply important part of my practice and my general happiness. I danced alone in my studio many afternoons to release energy. I will continue to work with these new findings about my practice and build upon the images I made at Joya: AiR”.

Aysia Stieb

Aysia Stieb is a photographer and artist located in Berkeley, California. She received her BFA from California College of the Arts in 2016. Her work spans genres, from still life to travel, where themes of intimacy, desire, and sensuality reoccur as unlikely subjects and objects to portray these ideas. She has been commissioned by publications and brands such as The New Yorker, The California Sunday Magazine, Levi’s, and Airbnb.