Mariona Calathea (@marionacalathea) is a photographer and multidisciplinary artist whose practice explores the relationship between objects, spaces and our inner worlds. From her new home in Berlin, she reflects on the objects that accompany us, the meaning we give them and the rituals that emerge through moments of change.

I took these pictures in May, just a few weeks after arriving in the place that, fortunately, I can now call home. Berlin is my new destination, a city I didn’t know much about before deciding to land here.

I’ve brought with me a small selection of objects, only those that felt like they truly belonged to me in this new chapter. They have become representations of my taste, my routines, and my daily rituals. I’d been manifesting a home like this for a long time, an empty space with endless possibilities to create.

I can say objects are one of my biggest passions; that’s why I love to photograph them. I admire the ability of humans to imagine something and bring it to life as a physical and tangible creation. This is something I want to explore deeply in my practice, bringing my vision to life through pieces with purpose.

Some time ago, the film Samsara taught me to appreciate and be grateful for the objects we choose to live with. They are a mirror of our inner world and become part of our journey. We use them, touch them, grow old alongside them, and fill them with memories. And when it’s time to let them go, we can say goodbye, recognizing all they’ve given us.

I also went through this process with myself. In the beginning, I was afraid of losing what I thought was security, my idea of stability and permanence. But change taught me to leave my old beliefs and align myself with my wishes and dreams. I found myself going through this cycle of understanding and surrender again and again in my introspective cave, spending hours lying in bed, feeling the full weight of my physical body and listening to all the thoughts crossing my mind. Finding balance between shadow and light.

This act has become a ritual, a continuous practice of learning to surrender and observe every detail of my identity. A portal revealing my next steps, holding me as I navigate this journey of expansion and growth.I’m slowly becoming a vessel guided by my intuition and emotions, filling it with abundance and compassion day after day.