Reflection #2
Reflection #2, 2022, cotton threads on watercolored cotton, 14 x 30 x 2 inches.
This hand-embroidered piece depicts a reflection on the Moyka River in St. Petersburg, Russia, my hometown. Known for its resemblance to Venice, the city is defined by its rivers, canals, and ever-present water. These shifting, mesmerizing reflections have always been central to the citys atmosphere and the lives of those who inhabit it. My personal experience of estrangement from my homeland, due to my public opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has turned St. Petersburg into something untouchable—existing now only as a memory or dream, much like a reflection: present, but beyond reach. By selecting a still image from a video of these reflections and translating it into embroidery, I merge the contemporary medium of video with the traditional craft of hand embroidery. This process bridges past and present, lending both mediums a sense of evolution and continuity. The reflections captured in the embroidery embody memories of people and events—constantly changing, never the same. Through this piece, I explore the fluid relationship between memory, place, and time, while reflecting on the personal loss of access to my homeland.
Artist Statement: My work in hand embroidery on watercolored cotton fabric is a highly detailed exploration of deceleration, contemplation, and the processes of perception and memory. Beginning with a base of watercolor on cotton, I use handwoven cotton threads to embroider intricate images inspired by my video recordings of water reflections from different parts of the world. These images represent visual memories, where distortions created by water and light echo the ways in which our memories are processed and recalled—never exact, always refracted. The embroidery technique I employ is deeply personal, passed down through the maternal line of my family. Embroidery, traditionally a skill and form of memory-transfer communicated across generations of women, serves as a thread linking past and present. Through this practice, I combine textiles, embroidery, and paint, resulting in a new form of painting that revives traditional techniques in a contemporary context. This synthesis of media allows me to create pieces that invite reflection on both the fragility and resilience of memory.
