I came to AARK at a time when there were blackouts in Ukraine due to Russian shelling of our infrastructure. Kyiv was plunged into darkness for many hours, and it was possible to walk the streets only with a headlamp and wearing clothes with reflectors. It's funny that all this came in handy on the island.
The trip to AARK was my first introduction to Finland. I was lucky enough to catch all the seasons on the island. One month is not enough to feel this place. It encourages you to be measured and contemplative.
How the war affects the environmental situation in Ukraine is important to me. I have dedicated my latest projects to this topic. During the residency, I created several new works from natural inks from the Chemical Reaction series. They were presented at open studios in Helsinki in HIAP and at an exhibition in Turku. I also created the project BLACK SOIL, which tells about the pollution of Ukrainian soil due to the war. For this project, I chose an unusual material, namely bread. Bread was selected as the primary material because it is a very fragile, temporary, sensual material, similar to the human body or life itself.
Ukraine's rich cultural heritage and its significance are interwoven with the land's fertility, often symbolized by bread. Beyond its role as sustenance, bread embodies life's essence. This project seeks to illuminate the devastation wrought upon the Ukrainian environment due to the war, where the very land that provides sustenance is poisoned and rendered barren.
I seek to explore the intersection of national culture, environment, and resilience by referring to the beauty of Ukrainian bread traditions.
