Project “Rooted in Ice” (2023) 

    This body of work rows from my childhood and has an emotional imprint. I’m originally from the Northern area of Russia, where snowy and frosty winter is deeply rooted or rather icebound in our culture through traditions and songs. I have happy memories of ice skating, frost-biting cheeks and icicles, and my father’s winter fishing on a lake. People living in the northern regions nowadays are facing a tough situation as the ice, which they depend on for transportation and food security is decreasing due to climate change. The project is a visual celebration of frozen water. It is designed to mesmerise the viewer with unique ice formations, their melting points and reflections to reveal another level of wonder before those moments disappear forever. The project started as a recreation of northern landscapes by manipulations with memories, and ice itself. To expand the visual narrative, I transformed ordinary ice into something that never had been seen before. The entirely new constructions absorbed textures of ice and all that it implies: movement, change, time, and human influence. My intention here is to make people question themselves: what are they losing? What future will the next generation inherit? Would it be possible for them to do something as ordinary as stepping on a frozen river? I aim to raise awareness through art. I want people to fall in love with ice so much that they would want to save it.