Vala Kjarval is a photographer and cinematographer with a background in film theory and cinema studies. Over the years, they have worked across various formats, including 35mm, medium format, and 16mm, for clients in fashion, filmmakers, and news publications. Notably, their 16mm cinematography contributed to New York Fashion Week and German VOGUE.

Her personal series "Ad vera til" was featured in multiple art outlets and international exhibitions. During the historic 2020 Covid pandemic, their photography covering NYC was part of the International Center of Photography’s groundbreaking show, #ICPconcerned, and the Lenscratch Self-Quarantining Exhibition. Taking a break from realism and documenting the grief of 2020, their work has taken a turn toward the surreal. 

They have since exhibited mixed media surrealistic photographs in The Darkroom in Dublin, Ireland in July 2022. Afterward, Vala transitioned from still photography to video art, focusing on creating surreal, meditative visuals that capture movements from nature like waterfalls, lava, glaciers, and clouds. Her film, Esjan Rising, was featured at the Vetrarhátíð (Winter Lights Film Festival) in February 2023 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Vala’s work provides a calming, immersive experience for viewers, often using time-lapse techniques and exploring light and shadow. She provided some of these visuals for background visuals for local Djs at Bravo, in reykjavik. Currently, they are experimenting with combining cutting edge tech with traditional celluloid techniques.  Working with new Ai software, animating celluloid images they’ve captured, and incorporating archival footage into their video art. Vala shares these works on their new Instagram account, valavignettes, in hopes of breaking up the monotony of social media consumption and providing a meditative release: view here.