New York-based May Parlar (b. 1981) is a photography and video artist creating visual narratives that centre around the notion of belonging. With a background in architecture and sustainable design – and having moved between 30 countries in the last 10 years – Parlar has since become interested in examining the human condition in relation to surrounding landscapes. Each image translates the contrasting experiences of being and performing within gravity-defying realities and ambiguous timeframes. The works instil a sense of the uncanny in the viewer; characters wander through realities as nomads rather than citizens. Balloons are suspended mid-air; ethereal desert planes host static figures that are swathed by bleach-white sheets; overgrown gardens swallow characters in mid-conversation. Parlar has been shortlisted for the 2019 Aesthetica Art Prize, with images on display at York Art Gallery, 8 March – 14 July. www.mayparlar.com | www.aestheticamagazine.com/art-prize.