Artist Statement
I am a Ukrainian artist working and living in Vancouver on the unceded land of Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and the Squamish peoples. As a recent immigrant I have been exploring the duality of immigrant identity, belonging, displacement, memory, diasporas, stereotypes, oral histories and reflection on recent events in Ukraine and around the world. Especially I am interested in questioning great historical narratives through the simple act of recording stories and bearing witness.
My practice is founded in photography, with an interest in text, historical images and contemporary archives. Apart from that, mass media images and exploring their possible relationships to my work are becoming more and more important for me. I also explore installations as they push the still image off the wall, letting it occupy space, dissect and interrupt flow of such a space that navigates movement of the viewer. Investigating the limitation of each medium within my work I am trying to create a layered understanding of the world around. Recently, I have developed a profound interest in the film and video work which I've been incorporating in my practice.