Having been raised between Moscow, Russia, and New Orleans,Louisiana—two distinct cultures and languages—I have been acutely aware of theconcept of locality from a young age. Drawing inspiration from memories tied toplace, I explore the emotional and physical connection to culture and theenvironment that cultivated it, and how they have, in turn, shaped me.

Culture and locality are intricately linked, as the environment in which one israised profoundly influences cultural identity and expression. Localityencompasses the physical, social, and historical contexts that shape daily lifeand collective memory. These local contexts imbue cultural practices withdistinct meanings and forms, making them unique to specific places. The twobecome reflexive of each other, allowing characteristics such as landscapes,climate, and traditions to inform an individual’s experience. By exploring thisrelationship, my work delves into how the tangible aspects of a placecontribute to the development of personal identity.

My work mainly consists of works on paper. By combining graphite and charcoaldrawings with papermaking, cyanotype, and printmaking techniques, I representthe linguistic aspect of my work, using different techniques as various phrasesto express the idea. These phrases come together to form a complete concept.Much like in the natural world, where nothing exists in isolation, my worksinform and build on each other, creating their own dialogue.

The processes I employ are rooted in natural principles with many having theability to be proliferated, much like the natural world’s cycles and patterns.Papermaking, for instance, mimics the organic process of growth andtransformation, while cyanotype’s use of sunlight evokes the natural interplayof light and time. By employing these methods, I not only reflect the iterativeand interconnected nature of the environment but also create works that can bereplicated and expanded. This multiplicity mirrors the way natural and culturalsystems evolve and interact, reinforcing the idea that nothing exists inisolation but rather as part of a dynamic and interconnected whole.