Metamorphose; Part one

In this series, we explore the impact of AI-driven portrait transformation on contemporary art.

„Butterflies.
Tickling my skin.
Piercing into my nightmares.
While my mask is cracking.
Made out of clay.
Layer by layer.
Behind this mask I sleep.
Nobody can see my smile.
Only sometimes I can feel the rustling of their wings.“

(A poem by Olga Zabashta, inspired by this portrait artwork.)

AI Portrait Transformation in the Metamorphosis Series

The project Metamorphosis explores the creative dialogue between traditional portrait photography and artificial intelligence. In this series, emotional photographs are digitally transformed using AI technologies, creating hybrid artworks that move between photography, digital art, and surreal visual storytelling.

Each image begins with a carefully composed portrait photograph created with professional lighting using Leica cameras and Profoto lighting equipment. The original photograph captures the human expression and emotional presence of the subject. Artificial intelligence is then used to reinterpret the image, adding new textures, forms, and visual elements that reshape the photograph into a new artistic dimension.

This process of AI portrait transformation raises questions about identity, perception, and the role of technology in contemporary art. The images in the Metamorphosis series do not replace photography but extend it. The result is a visual conversation between human creativity and machine-generated interpretation.

The poetic text accompanying the artwork reflects this transformation. The butterfly becomes a metaphor for change, fragility, and the hidden emotional layers that exist behind a mask. In the same way, artificial intelligence reveals unexpected visual possibilities hidden within the original photograph.

Through this series, the project investigates how emerging technologies influence the language of photography and how AI can become part of the artistic process without replacing the human perspective.

Portrait withLeica / Profoto Lightning
AI modified