MoonLab 42 hosted an exhibition featuring the works of Brooklyn-based Georgian photographer Dimitri Mais. From May 27th Dimitri will present a documentary project "Land without Shadows" which he captured during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the serene and desolate landscapes of Coney Island's boardwalk. 

Coney  Island, currently a peninsula, historically consisted of several smaller islands which were inhabited by the Native American tribe of the Lenape. The Lenape referred to the area as Narrioch, which potentially translates as “always in light” or “land without shadows” because of south-facing beaches. 

From the artist: “I have spent the better half of the decade documenting coney island's vibrant scenes and characters. Yet again, this wonderland became my refuge and place for self-reflection during the pandemic. The silence and emptiness of the typically bustling coney island became reflective of the stillness I was experiencing then. The project visually represents the quiet and peaceful moments experienced during the pandemic. The photos reveal the empty and desolate life that overtook the usually bustling Coney Island.”

About Dimitri Mais:

Dimitri Maisuradze, aka Dimitri Mais, is a Brooklyn-based photographer originally from Tbilisi, Georgia. Trained as a fine art painter with a focus on portraits and landscapes, Dimitri began using photography to reference light for his artworks. For the past decade, he shifted his interest and medium of creative expression to photography. 

Dimitri divides his time and passion between portrait, street, and documentary photography, continuously working on his craft and personal projects as well as with individual, commercial, and editorial clients.