{"id":171962,"date":"2026-10-20T12:26:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T16:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=171962"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:26:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T16:26:26","slug":"how-jasa-muller-makes-portraits-feel-like-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/how-jasa-muller-makes-portraits-feel-like-paintings\/","title":{"rendered":"How Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller Makes Portraits Feel Like Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent.<\/em><\/p>\n<style>\n.quote {\nline-height: 1.2em !important;\npadding: 35px 25px;\n}\n.wp-caption {\n    margin-top: 65px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/10\/jasa-muller-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1594\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nJa\u0161a M\u00fcller | Image courtesy of Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/jasa-muller\">Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/a>, Photographer<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Hometown:<\/strong> Ko\u010devje, Slovenia<br \/>\n<strong>Based In:<\/strong> Paris, France<\/p>\n<p><strong>What sparked your interest in photography, and what pulled you toward portraiture specifically?<\/strong><br \/>\nOne of my earliest memories is going to my grandma\u2019s work office, where she had this big printer with a scanner. I used to put my face inside the scanner and print these strange little portraits. I still have them. Later we got a camera at home and I started taking pictures and filming videos. I grew up in a small town in Slovenia, and around the same time the internet became a big part of my life. Photography became a way to connect with people and a world that felt much bigger than the one I was growing up in. Portraits came naturally. I always liked photographing people, and self-portraits became a bigger part of my work in my early twenties. It started very simply, just out of convenience. With self-portraits I was always there, so whenever I had a burst of creative energy I could just act on it. It solved my problem of wanting to create but never having a picture to work on.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your creative process is quite tactile: printing, physically working back into images, rephotographing, and layering with color. How did you arrive at that process, and was it a conscious pursuit or did it emerge more instinctively over time?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt was very gradual. I always felt drawn to images that felt a bit less clean, less fixed, less polished. Before I started printing and physically working on my images, I was trying to get a similar feeling directly in camera by putting things in front of the lens, blurring things, and experimenting with different materials and effects. I remember having to print images for a school project. Something just clicked when I saw them on paper. They felt completely different from seeing them on a screen. After that I started printing images at a local store and playing around with them. What I love is the materiality of it. Once an image is printed, it suddenly introduces all these new variables: the paper, the texture, the way light hits it. Even the smallest change can completely shift the feeling of an image. I found that really exciting, and I still do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How would you describe your work? What\u2019s your trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nIf there\u2019s one thing that keeps recurring in my work, it\u2019s probably the white background. But for me it was never really about the background itself. It was about limitation. I actually feel most creative when I have some sort of restriction. In a way, being able to do anything is, for me, the biggest limitation. Whether it\u2019s a white background, a fashion brief, or one specific subject, I like having something to respond to. Maybe that\u2019s also how I would describe my work. It\u2019s usually about taking something very simple and seeing how far I can push it and make it interesting, it\u2019s a kind of challenge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your portraits feel like they sit somewhere between photography and painting. Is that something you were formally trained in, or entirely self-taught?<\/strong><br \/>\nI went to photography school and later studied fine arts, but I was always developing my own work outside of school. I actually think that\u2019s where I learned the most. I was always more interested in creating something than just photographing what was already there. I like images that feel like they belong to their own world, and I think that\u2019s probably where the painting influence comes from. I also developed a way of working with shadows over time. My images are usually quite flat before I start working on them, and then I repaint the shadows back into the image. It\u2019s very subtle, but I think that\u2019s also one of the things that makes the work feel a bit more painterly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What draws you to a subject, and how do you build trust with the people you photograph?<\/strong><br \/>\nMost of the time I just trust my gut. As soon as a project or a person comes my way, I usually know pretty quickly if it\u2019s something I connect with or not. It\u2019s not always easy to explain, but I\u2019ve learned to trust that feeling. As for trust, I think people trust me when I trust myself. Maybe that\u2019s naive, but it\u2019s how I work. I don\u2019t like too much pressure, and I don\u2019t like feeling like everything has to go exactly according to plan. I get most inspired in the moment. I like leaving room for accidents, ideas, and things that weren\u2019t expected. I think people relax when they feel that openness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What non-fashion influences (art, film, literature, music, etc.) shape your creative perspective?<\/strong><br \/>\nLately I\u2019ve been taking a lot of inspiration from paintings, especially the way they build environments, backgrounds, and compositions. I think it\u2019s also because I\u2019m trying to move a little away from the kind of images I\u2019ve been making until now and see where else they can go. That\u2019s something that excites me a lot at the moment. I also get inspired while I\u2019m working. Sometimes it\u2019s a mistake, sometimes it\u2019s an accident, sometimes it\u2019s just something unexpected that happens on set. If something feels interesting, I usually try to follow it and see where it leads.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What have you watched, heard, or read lately that has inspired you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve been really obsessed with the work of Metka Kra\u0161ovec, a Slovenian painter. Her work is so good. I could stare at her paintings all day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s something outside of your work that you would like people to know about you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI love making music when nobody is around. It\u2019s always been something I only do for myself, and it\u2019s nice having something that\u2019s just for me. I played saxophone for years, and I also play guitar.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s been the most challenging moment in your career, and what did you take away from it?<\/strong><br \/>\nProbably my first year in Paris. It was one of the most exciting years of my life, but also one of the most stressful. I was really happy to be there, but at the same time I was constantly worried that it wouldn\u2019t work out and that I would have to move back home. The biggest thing I learned was to create opportunities instead of waiting for them to happen. Before that, I was always waiting for that exciting email to come through and give me something to work on. But you can\u2019t really survive like that. I had to start making my own projects, reaching out to people, and staying consistent even when nothing exciting was happening. Once I started doing that, things slowly began to move. Action creates reaction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s one to watch?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy friend @<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/roscinomakeup\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">uglyroscino<\/a>. We\u2019ve worked on so many projects together over the last few years, and I love having him on set. He\u2019s incredibly fast, super easy to work with, and we understand each other\u2019s process really well. Because I paint on top of a lot of my images in post, I like keeping the makeup quite balanced, and I think we\u2019ve found a really nice way of working together where both of our worlds can exist in the same image!<\/p>\n<h3>Selected Work<\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/10\/jasa-muller-paper-ayo-edebiri.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1206\" height=\"1490\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nAyo Edebiri by Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller | Image courtesy of Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/paper-magazine-paper-magazine-april-2026-cover\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Paper Magazine April 2026 Cover<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis project will always be very special to me. The reaction it received was honestly quite surreal and something I really didn\u2019t expect. Meeting <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/ayo-edebiri\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ayo (Edebiri)<\/a> and the whole team was amazing, and it ended up being one of the most enjoyable shoots I\u2019ve done. We had a lot of fun making this one!<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/10\/jasa-muller-portraits-2025.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1248\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nPortraits by Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller | Image courtesy of Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Portraits<\/em>, 2025-present<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is an ongoing portrait project I\u2019m working on in Paris. It has introduced me to so many amazing people. I photograph people I connect with or find inspiring. Most of the portraits are taken in my apartment in Paris. The actual picture usually only takes a few minutes, but before that we normally have a cigarette together on the balcony and chat for a bit. It\u2019s kind of become a little ritual before taking the portrait.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/10\/jasa-muller-self-portrait-2023.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1206\" height=\"1409\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nJa\u0161a M\u00fcller | Image courtesy of Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Self-Portrait<\/em>, 2023<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is one of my early self-portraits. At the time I didn\u2019t really know what I wanted to do in my life. I just knew I wanted to make things, and I was chasing a feeling that felt right, even if I had no idea where it would lead. I remember a lot of people saw this image and responded to it. It might also be the image that got me my first fashion project. Back then I was living with five people in an apartment and sharing a room with one of my best friends. There was a white wall in the room where I shot all of my portraits. Everything happened very quickly back then, and I really loved that simplicity.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/10\/jasa-muller-another-man-china.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1192\" height=\"1484\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nAnOther Man China by Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller | Image courtesy of Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/another-man-china-dance-as-one-1\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Dance as One<\/em> for AnOther Man China<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis is one of my most recent projects, a cover story for <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/another-man-china\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AnOther Man China<\/a>. It feels like it points toward where I want to take my work next. For a long time I was mostly working with white backgrounds and building everything around the subject. Recently I\u2019ve become much more interested in environments and backgrounds again, and this was one of the first projects where I really started exploring that. This shoot really made me excited about what comes next!<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/10\/jasa-muller-untitled-2016.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nUntitled by Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller | Image courtesy of Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Untitled<\/em>, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nI was sixteen when I took this image. I remember I was really proud of it. The two girls in the picture are friends I\u2019ve known since I was a child. I\u2019m an only child, but they always felt like little sisters to me. It\u2019s different from the work I make today, but I still really love this image.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent. Ja\u0161a M\u00fcller, Photographer Hometown: Ko\u010devje, Slovenia Based In: Paris, France What sparked your interest in photography, and what pulled you toward portraiture specifically? One of my earliest memories is going to my grandma\u2019s work office,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":171967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12752,13941,10414,16,13943],"tags":[12930,13154,15420],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171962"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171962"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":171977,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171962\/revisions\/171977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}