One day, while looking through historical still lifes, Igor Kryukov was struck by the fact that old masters often depicted cats among the usual flowers and vases. The Crimea-based photographer turned his attention to his three don sphynxes, Solara, Resheph and Nitokris.
The result is his series Cats in Contemporary Art, shortlisted in this year’s Sony world photography awards. “I really like their aesthetic and character,” he says. “They are graceful, sophisticated, smart, like aristocrats.”