My Ukrainian Family
my Ukrainian family
"What art is, in reality, is this missing link, not the links which exist. It's not what you see that is art; art is the gap."
Marcel Duchamp
My great-grandfather, a balloonist in the Czar’s army, fled Ukraine in 1917, seeking a better life in America amid the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution. Because of his journey, my family has lived for generations free from that kind of fear, but our connection to Ukraine has never faded.
I have been blessed to return to Ukraine four times, reconnecting with family and witnessing a country in transformation. My first visit in 1994 - just three years after the country's independence from the Soviet Union - revealed a striking contrast. On the streets, there was a lingering guardedness, but behind closed doors, I was met with overwhelming warmth from family. Each trip since has deepened my appreciation for resilience, identity, and the unbreakable bonds that span generations and continents. My heart goes out to families there. I can't imagine what their life is like now!
Maybe trying to make sense of life is like Duchamp’s quote above? In a world of logic and budgets, what matters is how we respond to the gap between the brutality of humanity and the unfathomable grace we know exists.
Loss leaves us with questions, while connection offers a sense of belonging. Between these two extremes - grief and togetherness - our shared human experience unfolds.
This is my "why" as a photographer and director. I want to explore these authentic moments when we lower our guards and truly connect as human beings. In these moments, we reveal our truest selves.
Let's make it good!
