Artist Statement
My artwork is an exploration of the failures and tragedies we share as a society. Through a variety of mediums, such as oil color paintings, ceramic pieces, film photography, video projects, and installations, I aim to create art as an accessible language that shares a different perspective on the Russian-Ukrainian War and the ways it impacted the story of my family as well as my own.
The war in Ukraine made me reflect on history’s tendency to repeat itself. The reproduction of the dictatorship in Russia is reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s tactics during the Cold War, along with the use of propaganda and disinformation, causing invasions, destructions, and attempts to overthrow the governments of several countries, including Ukraine. That’s why in some of my artwork, you might notice the portraiture of the current Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and a Russian revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until he died in 1953, Vladimir Lenin.
The vilification of Ukraine in Russian media motivated me to address the issue of propaganda in my artwork by creating ironic and provocative designs on my garments. “How to Eat Russian Babies” is a response to the cynical statement by the Russian president about Ukrainians, “If they demand babies for breakfast, they will be served.” (Channel 24)
In my Thesis show, I share my memories of home in combination with feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and frustration of not being able to go back home. Through the discussion of the War and the ways it affected me and my country, I want to illustrate how isolated we are from each other’s experiences. Just as most Russian citizens who deny their country's aggressive actions towards Ukraine, we oftentimes tend to ignore the suffering of those who are around but who don’t affect our lives directly until they become powerful enough to frighten us.
