A box of treasures: ceramic landscapes from a lost motherland, carried through a nomadic life of forced immigration. This project is both a personal story and a method of staying whole while being scattered. A tactile, intimate journey through loss, identity, and the quiet search for home.

In 2022 I had to leave my home in just a few days, and it’s not safe to go back. Since then, I’ve lived in five countries, six cities, and countless shabby apartments, always trying to settle, to feel a little more like home. These past three years, I’ve constantly questioned my identity and self-worth. Am I a traitor or a decedent? Russian, Siberian, Israeli—or none of these? This project is a way for me to return to the place that shaped me, to sift through it, and take something with me into my nomadic life—wherever I go next. I recreated landscapes from my childhood, using photos of real places and channeling my pain into the process. I decided to present the pieces as if they’re caught in the middle of unpacking. I built a custom box for them—something portable, where the tiles will live and move with me. The lid of the box is covered with visuals from the journey—maps, notes, fragments of the search. An important part of the piece is the audio guide that takes the audience on a tour with me, painting the picture piece by piece.