Dusha

'Dusha' is the Russian word for 'soul'. This portrait is a part of the series – a glimpse into the Russian soul on the example of my mother and her inner world. It is like a bridge into the space of her creative origin – bizarre, fascinating and dreamy. My mom is a rare, incredible woman with her own unconquerable romanticism and heightened sensitivity of perception. She is the epitome of compassion, sacrifice and kindness, pursuit of justice, openness to the world and thirst for knowledge. She is the soul of our family and pure embodiment for us of the term of the mystifying Russian soul.

For many years, my mother has been suffering from depression and the inability to express herself creatively. She had to start insulin therapy, something she was afraid of since being a little girl, watching how diabetes took away first her grandmother and then mother. As if looking in a mirror, I myself struggle with insulin resistance; there is a fear of diabetes, a predetermined scenario of development, unspokenness and painful vulnerability.

By bringing out feelings of powerlessness and injustice, the process itself has become a therapy and realization for both of us against emotional self-alienation, social isolation and sensory deprivation; which became more vibrant in current social reality.