The Last Carriage

I was born in Russia, a vast country where distance itself teaches you that movement can become part of life. My first major move happened within that same country: from Ufa to Saint Petersburg. I lived there for three years, but over time even that great city began to feel too small for me. Then I moved to Tel Aviv, where I spent five years and truly devoted myself to art. In Israel, I studied painting and drawing, yet I still felt that my nomadic blood was calling me further. That is how I arrived in London in November 2023. I have now been living here for two and a half years, and I already understand that this is not my final stop either.
For me, moving always carries a double feeling. On one hand, I love changing countries and cities, beginning a new chapter, and discovering a different rhythm of life. On the other hand, every departure feels a little like a small death: you leave a part of yourself behind in the place you are leaving, along with your habits, your memories, and a former version of yourself. Maybe that is why every new city becomes not just a point on the map, but a part of my own story.
This experience has deeply enriched my artistic practice. Migration, displacement, and the feeling of belonging between places often appear in my work. I am drawn to themes of immigration because they are not abstract to me. They are something I have lived through, both physically and emotionally. Through my work, I often return to these questions of movement, identity, loss, and transformation.