A Conversation with Roux Korczynskyj
A point-and-shoot, a Karri canopy, and a question: who’s really watching who?
Roux Korczynskyj values creativity as a way to refuse the norm — to do something fun or unusual for no reason other than wanting to. His practice often moves in and around community, using photography as a vehicle for narrative: a way to meet people, learn, and share. Increasingly, he’s drawn to unconventional projects that feel more local and nourishing — stepping away from the often-superficial realm of social media.
For Flash. Issue 03 — a Project See & B × Jean Marie Film collaboration that gave twenty creatives second-hand film cameras and total creative freedom — Roux picked up an Olympus Trip AF S-2 35mm and took it somewhere most people wouldn’t.
Forty metres up in the canopy of Boranup Forest, he captured a series of frames that, when overlaid, hold scale in two directions at once: vast and minute. Macro and micro. The awe of the Karri forest, and the detail inside it.
His final work, Acknowledged, explores a shift from observation to participation — a way of seeing that invites the viewer into a reflexive, reciprocal relationship with the trees.
As Roux writes in his artist statement:
“What if I’m not just observing the forest, but being seen by it? This shift – from looking to being looked at – invites a move from observation to participation, expanding our sense of community to include the more than human world.”
Where did this project begin for you?
“When I start planning to create something with a lot of intention, I get inspired by challenge — and the images that come out of me when I put myself in a weird or difficult situation. That was definitely the starting point for this project.
I wanted to stretch the technical capacity of my trusty point-and-shoot by taking it somewhere others (probably) haven’t bothered to.”
How did you approach making the work?
“It was a 48-hour effort. I drove from my home in Perth down to a really old and epic Karri forest in Boranup. The journey down probably took eight hours in my old ’91 Sierra (which broke down once along the way).
Once down there, I had to rig up a climbing system to ascend one of the trees. That took me all day — and I sacrificed a drone to the canopy.
The next morning I returned early, sheltered in my rain gear, and ascended up into the forest. The wind was strong, and hanging up the top had me swinging a metre or so sideways with the elements.
Then the photography project began. One metre at a time, I would descend my rope in parallel to a selected tree, snapping three or four photos side by side to create several panoramas. I used one whole roll of film (36 frames), almost all of which ended up in the final work.
So yeah — quite a process, though unintentional and not really the point nor focus of the work (haha)!”
What were you hoping the work would hold?
“I really wanted to capture both the scale and awe of the tree — macro and micro. I hoped the patchwork style would let me capture this level of detail using a fairly rudimentary analogue camera.
I find real beauty in trees, something that deepens my relatedness to wild places and extends my sense of personhood. I felt this really strongly while up in the canopy, moving with the wind, and I hope it transpires into my finished work.”
How would you describe your practice?
“Like a wandering forest trail — all over the place, up and down, here and there.
I look at other creators and feel envious when they have a uniform image and theme in their work. Mine always feels sporadic, any which way, like following my nose. I feel there’s strength in exploring strange concepts, places, and things, leaving every door open to opportunity.
But at times, it frustrates me.”
What’s inspiring you creatively right now?
“Currently, I’m living in a van, which means I’m moving a lot quicker than normal. I feel like I’m inspired by these fast changes — albeit hard to take in and capture along the way.
But it definitely gets my mind ticking for future projects.”
What’s next?
“I’m currently building a website (not released yet) and I hope to find opportunities to work on more projects with diverse people and places, so I can keep creating in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Oh, and I’ll be featured in a climbing doco I’ve been working on with a few friends, which is hopefully coming out this year (2026) — so keep an eye out if you’re in Perth and enjoy a movie!”
To follow along with what Roux is making next, find him on Instagram @roux.ko.
Flash. — Exhibition & Issue 03 Launch
Flash. Issue 03 One-week-only exhibition:
19 — 25 January 2026
10am to 4pm daily
Terrace Greenhouse Gallery
223 South Terrace, South Fremantle, WA
Free entry
Project See & B is dedicated to amplifying under-represented voices in the creative industry. Issue 03 was made possible thanks to the support of The Blackbird Foundation.
