A Memory of Safety, 2024

Explanation: In my work, I am reconstructing my mother’s lace curtain from the house where I have spent my truly best and dearest childhood, relying on an image she has sent me. My aim is to highlight the emotional challenges, loneliness and desire to safety and belonging - the sense of a feeling at home- while living in a foreign land by myself, pursuing my dreams. This curtain has been a significant part of my childhood and also a feature of many East European working-class households -integral to our culture and identity. It was a symbol I strongly disliked at that time. Now, looking back, this curtain has become a symbol of the desirable feelings of home, safety and belonging – something that has suddenly become out of reach for me. Through the intricate process of making this curtain, where I have collaborated with my mother to recreate it, this piece has become a reason for day-to-day conversations and problem-solving, bonding us together in a time and space that transcends geographical distances. With my work, I am to shed light on the almost invisible emotional challenges and processes that many diasporic people encounter on a daily basis. The goal is to deconstruct stereotypical representations and interpretations of East European diaspora identity by making tangible the individual lived experiences and emotions of human beings.