In Flux
Currently showing at the Annex theatre
In Flux
A gallery show at the Annex theater by Millissa Martin.
Millissa Martin’s photography lives in flux, suspended between movement and stillness, intimacy and power. Her work transforms bodies into living sculptures, charged with fabric, color, and raw emotion. Drawing from her background in circus arts and performance, she has a rare ability to capture the instant where energy shifts and form emerges, where nothing is fixed yet everything is felt. These images reveal gestures that are both fleeting and timeless, shaped by the unpredictable flow of fabric and motion. In this series, Martin invites viewers to enter that shifting space, to witness the poetry of bodies in transition, and to feel the pulse of creation as it moves, changes, and transforms before our eyes.
Millissa Martin is a Vancouvger-based photographer whose work fuses movement, textiles, and fashion into striking visual narratives. With a background in circus arts and dance, Martin brings a rare sensitivity to bodies in motion, capturing fleeting gestures that hold both intensity and grace. She has photographed Cirque du Soleil, Gravity & Other Myths, and Ballet BC, among others, and her images have been featured in festivals and publications internationally. Her work celebrates the intersection of performance and fine art, inviting viewers to enter a world that is always in flux, where fabric, color, and human form collide in bold expression.
The Lean
24”x36” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
This was a beautiful session with Brodie, who brought his favorite suit while I brought the fringe. The combination of fabric and movement was the perfect spark to bring this image to life. As a dancer, Brodie carried an effortless flow. His ability to move with the fringe created moments of pure spontaneity.
Coming in with a vision while staying open to what unfolds in the moment is where the magic truly lies. I’m so grateful for Brodie’s artistry and presence in this collaboration.
Creative direction in collaboration with @broderickhargreaves
Studio @dorisisaplace
Hang
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
This image was created with Charlotte Sullivan, who I first met when she was in Vancouver touring with Echo from Cirque du Soleil. From the moment we connected, I knew I wanted to bring circus and fashion together in a way that felt bold and otherworldly.
Charlotte stepped into this vision with such strength and grace, embodying both the artistry of an acrobat and the elegance of couture. I am so grateful for her presence, trust, and willingness to merge disciplines in a way that feels powerful and alive.
Creative direction + Styling by me
Hair Hanging Queen @charlottegosullivan
MUA @mua.caitlin
Dress @rolla_summers
Assistant @empower_move_ment
Studio @stretchvancouver
Holding
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
This moment was still. The fabric, the air, and the quiet energy in the room held a kind of weight, a pause that felt both powerful and tender.
Creating with Nyalinglat is always an experience beyond words. She is art in motion, but also in stillness—embodying strength, grace, and presence in every breath. I feel so lucky each time we get to create together.
This was not just a shoot. It was a contemplative collaboration, a space where silence and artistry intertwined to bring this vision to life.
Pause
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
Creating with Pei Lun is an absolute dream. As a professional dancer, she carries movement in her bones, and every gesture is both precise and full of freedom. To watch her flow was mesmerizing—I had to keep reminding myself this was real and not a vision unfolding before me.
Pei brought a depth of artistry that elevated every frame. Her strength, grace, and presence shaped this image into something unforgettable. I feel so lucky to witness and capture her art, transforming it into a photograph that holds the beauty of the moment we created together.
The most perfect dress by @alex.s.yu
MUA @makeupbyhappi
Fringe
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
Nyalinglat and fringe are the most perfect combination. The way she moves, the way the fringe responds, and the way both react to each other creates a rhythm all its own. It felt less like a photoshoot and more like watching a living dance unfold in real time.
Every gesture she made carried intention, yet left space for spontaneity. The fringe became an extension of her body, amplifying her strength, her grace, and her presence. It was a reminder of how fabric and movement can speak together, creating something neither could say alone.
I am so grateful for Nyalinglat’s artistry and for the chance to capture her in this way. The most perfect dance is one where collaboration, trust, and expression flow without boundaries—and that is exactly what this moment was.
Poised
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
The vision for this image was blurred elegance. Throughout the session we experimented with light, fabric, and movement, searching for ways to let blur become its own kind of beauty. When I work in this flow, images appear that feel unrepeatable—born from exploration and trust in the moment.
A huge thank you to Benjamin DeFaria for styling and for bringing a strong vision paired with the willingness to trust the process. This piece exists because of that collaboration and openness.
The team that brings a vision to life.
Creative direction in collaboration with @benjamin__emmanuel
Hair @queeniirenee
Makeup @paulinedustan
Studio @dorisisaplace
Let Go
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
This image was created with Andrea at the beach during low tide, one of my favorite blank canvases to create on. With fabric in hand and the open expanse around us, Andrea moved with the wind, turning the shoreline into a stage.
Watching her dance in that space was pure magic—each gesture alive with freedom, each movement caught between earth and sky. I am so grateful for her artistry and the way she let the moment carry her.
Sand Box
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
Kevin is a mover through and through, and I had the privilege of following his lead in this moment. On the sand, he flowed freely, every movement like a rhythm I could chase with my lens. For five minutes he moved without pause, and this final gesture became the perfect bookend—a closing shape that held the whole sequence together.
As a professional acrobat, Kevin carries an innate understanding of space, rhythm, and presence. Watching him create in real time was the best kind of dance between mover and photographer, where play gives way to magic.
What It Looks like
24”x 36” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
To me, this image looks like graceful brain waves rising into the sky. The fabric becomes tendrils of expression, reaching outward and upward as if thought itself has taken form.
Kaylin is an incredible dancer in Vancouver, and her presence here is magnetic. She carries a rare mix of power and delicacy, grounding the image while letting the fabric soar. To me, this photograph speaks to the invisible made visible—the way creativity, movement, and expression can extend beyond the body and fill the space around us.
Dancer @kaylin_s
MUA @residualglitter_
Clothing and Styling @jenni_lee_fashion
Jewelry @anitasikma Assistant @bailey.roe.photography
Kick It
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
Kaylin has a way of going all in, and this moment was no exception. Power, elegance, and attitude all collide here, captured in a single breath where movement meets fashion. I love the mix—the strength of her form, the drama of the outfit, and the backdrop of the fading sun pulling it all together.
She is a dancer who knows how to command space, and here she brought that same intensity to fashion. The result is a photograph that feels cinematic, alive, and unapologetically bold. I am so grateful for collaborators like Kaylin, who bring both vision and fearlessness to every session.
Dancer @kaylin_s
MUA @residualglitter_
Clothing and Styling @jenni_lee_fashion
Jewelry @anitasikma Assistant @bailey.roe.photography
Between Us
24”x 36” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
This image was created with the incredible acrobats Jen and Brette. At the end of our session, after capturing everything we had planned, we found ourselves with a little extra time and a piece of fabric. What unfolded was a spontaneous act of creation: playing, stretching, counterbalancing, and seeing what the moment would offer us.
It’s in these unscripted spaces that the magic happens. Ideas narrow and sharpen in real time, trust flows, and something completely unique takes form. I’m so grateful to Jen and Brette for their openness, playfulness, and artistry. They turned an extra moment into an extraordinary one.
Squeeze 1 & 2
16”x 24” Framed
Digital Photograph
Archival Pigment Print
I have known Coral for years, and her dedication to the art of hand balancing is like nothing else. She has poured herself into this craft with a level of discipline and devotion that is rare to witness, and every time I photograph her I’m reminded of the beauty of that commitment.
In these images, we took her talent out into the streets and amplified it with balloons. The combination of her strength, control, and years of training with the playful, unexpected presence of balloons created something new, a balance between precision and whimsy.
Coral’s ability to transform discipline into artistry, and then to let it expand into play, is what makes these photographs sing. I am so grateful to capture not only her skill, but also her spirit, in these moments.
See the show
You can experience In Flux in person at The Annex Theatre, hosted by Vancouver Civic Theatres. The series is displayed along the theatre’s stunning staircase, an unconventional but beautiful setting for my first show. Because of the location, the artwork is only accessible if you have a ticket to attend a performance at the theatre.
I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and for the chance to see my work living on these walls. This experience has only fueled my inspiration. I’m already dreaming up my own art show this coming spring. Keep your eyes open for what’s next.
To purchase
All works from In Flux are available for purchase as fine art prints. Each piece is printed on archival paper, designed to last a lifetime, and available in a range of sizes. Every purchase supports the continuation of this creative practice and helps me keep collaborating with artists, movers, and dreamers.
If a particular image speaks to you, it can become part of your own story—hanging in your home, studio, or creative space. Please reach out directly to discuss sizing, pricing, and custom options.
Work with me
In Flux is born from collaboration. Each image is created in conversation—with the bodies, fabrics, and energies that move through the space. My practice is about creating a container where both myself and the people I work with can be free to explore, play, and express. The work is not just mine; it’s ours, made possible by the courage to show up and create together.
If you see yourself reflected in this series, know that I love working with creatives who are ready to step into that space of freedom and possibility.