Artist Statement

Homesickness can show up in a variety of forms.

During difficult times and not being able to visit my home country, I feel like revisiting photo archives to remind myself of the dear past. This project is about connecting to my origin, childhood and beautiful nature of independent Ukraine.

Monika – the girl in the picture, is a friend of mine from elementary school whom I haven’t seen in 13 years. By some magical coincidence, we ran into each other here, in Toronto and “became friends” again. She is dressed in traditional Ukrainian clothes; and even though her parents are from Armenia, she sees herself as a Ukrainian and feels a deep connection to the country and its traditions.

We decided to project a video of Zakarpattia (an oblast in western Ukraine) she filmed a few years ago that showcases the vast beauty of the land and adds to the feeling of gratitude for calling this country our home.

Home is a feeling, more than anything.

Artist Bio

Holly Bondarenko is a Ukrainian portrait photographer and storyteller based in Toronto. Born into a family of artists, she enjoys using a variety of mediums to photograph people in an intimate fashion. With a background in fine arts and graphic design, she incorporates analog photography and various printing techniques in her practice. Holly is actively pursuing editorial and documentary work and is open to new creative challenges. She believes that everything and anything can be intriguing, if viewed from a particular angle.

Image Description

Ukrainian nature is projected on a Ukrainian girl dressed in traditional Ukrainian clothes.