Bio

I am a Russian / American hybrid, a refugee from the Southernmost region of Russia, North Ossetia - Alania. After twelve years of continuous life in the United States I still find myself somewhat of a stranger in this culture. I came upon photography as a medium accidentally in my undergraduate explorations. I was searching for an effective way to both, tell my personal stories and create a believable experience of 'that-has-been-ness'. Most of my photographic work deals with a personal dilemma of being a stranger without identity or a cultural background. I am fascinated by an idea of giving everything up in order to rediscover oneself, for example, as people did in the times of wild west. I’ve lived through a similar experience arriving to the United States. All I can remember is standing inside of some supermarket and staring at the rows and rows of candy with my mouth open. A cultural shock that somehow resonates to this day.