Your name Varvara Uhlik Place of birth Dnipro, Ukraine Place where you live now London, United Kingdom 3 words to describe you observant, funny, adventurous Why do you take pictures? It's the most comfortable medium for me to communicate my ideas to the audience. Where do you get your inspiration? From cinema, psychology, and life situations. Who are your influences? Maisie Cousins, Julie Poly, Thomas Mailaender, Gabriele Galimberti What determines the subject matter you choose? I often choose what feels most relevant at the moment. What impact would you like your art to have? I aim to provoke dialogue, spark introspection, and offer new perspectives on the multifaceted aspects of human existence. What artwork do you never get bored with? Probably Mat Collishaw's All Things Fall Is there anything you want to add? Thank you very much!
Sonechko Yak Ty (Sunshine, How Are You?) Project statement
This project is research on the identity of a modern woman brought up in the post-Soviet environment - research on my identity. I always remembered having a happy childhood. Born just five years after the fall of the Soviet Union, in the east part of Ukraine, I have always been told how fortunate I am not to have lived under Soviet rule. However, in my late twenties, I find myself feeling lost and confused about who I actually am. This has led me to undertake a search for myself by revisiting my memories and reevaluating them as an adult. As a child, I had happy moments: such as enjoying my mother's sour cherry "varenyky"(dumplings) or climbing trees. However, I also grew up in harsh conditions and was raised with severe Soviet discipline that has shaped me into who I am today. Most of the people around me during my childhood were Soviet people - including my family, teachers, neighbours, a saleswoman in a corner shop, the president. I am currently separated from my family due to the war that Russia has waged on Ukraine, and it's dangerous to return home. Therefore, I am using photography as a means to travel back to the east of Ukraine, back into the past, and recollect pieces of my identity by de- and re- constructing my childhood memories.
