Sparks dancing skywards. Flowers extending as far as the eye can see. There is a sense of freedom and abandon in Maia Flore’s (b. 1988) pictures. Here, anonymous figures frolic against idyllic backdrops – running, leaping and hiding amidst perfectly pruned shrubs and seemingly endless fields. The French photographer has developed a reputation for constructing dreamworlds where figures float, balance and bend, sometimes defying the laws of physics. Her compositions are crisp and colourful, to the point that they border on the surreal. Simplicity and playfulness are key to Flore’s visual language, with each scene featuring a single subject engaged in something of intrigue. You can’t help but ask questions: where are they running from, or to? Why? What magic is at work here? The artist is a master of translating ideas into still and moving images. She has an impressive list of collaborators: Cartier, The New Yorker, Le Monde, LVMH and many more. maiaflore.com

All images courtesy Maia Flore. Selected images for Hotel Radisson Reims / Alboran.