USA, Bloomfield Hills, Cranbrook Academy of Art, 2018

As a first-generation immigrant from Soviet Ukraine, a lot of my work is focused on an inquiry into belonging, connection, choice, and identity.

I grew up in an environment where all girls had to wear identical uniforms to school. The only way we could express individuality was through our white collar. We could choose our own fabric but we were confined to a specific size, colour and shape. So, until I was 15 my collar was the only way that I could differentiate myself. It was a means for self-expression but also just another restraint – an indication of belonging somewhere.

In the past year, I have often returned to the collar to explore the need to belong and connect – belonging without choosing – and restraint as a means of freedom.