Detail of Woman’s Dress from Chernovtsy Region (Artifact Series II), 2024, 4 Color Lithograph, 20"x15" each
This series delves into the concepts of access to history and cultural artifacts, particularly examining the impact of displacement and conflict on our connection to heritage. When Russia began its attacks on Ukraine, many cultural artifacts became inaccessible, existing only in the form of reproductions. This loss highlights the fragility of cultural preservation and the distancing effect that reproductions can create between audiences and the original objects.
Through this abstraction, the series invites viewers to question how history and cultural memory are preserved, distorted, or lost in times of crisis. It underscores the delicate balance between safeguarding heritage through reproduction and the estrangement that arises when the original becomes unreachable, creating a poignant commentary on the intersections of war, displacement, and identity.