This new series of glass collages is about the recent global changes and my view of our path forward. The lifestyle we got used to before the global pandemic has changed. This project is a search for new ways of coming together. It is about getting out of our comfort zones and seeing things differently. It is about coping with challenges and surviving through a difficult time. It is about hope for a new future and strength of the human spirit.
The world is changing, and everyone is a part of this shift. Though many of these changes are inevitable, the pandemic has accelerated certain cycles and highlighted the areas for improvement. I feel like there is a global restructuring going on right now. New habits, rituals, and rules emerge. Absolutely everyone finds themselves in this new reality and faces the adjustment challenges. Humankind has accumulated a lot of new knowledge and experiences it at a rapid pace. The question is how to connect these new skills with the old habits.
To me, this process resembles the making of a patchwork quilt. The best quilt-makers use materials that are both old and new, with different textures and colors, in order to create something unique and beautiful. I envision us utilizing newly found coping skills for patching together our new world with the old one. Utilizing the best elements of the old and new, the humankind can save our planet and achieve comfortable lifestyle on it. Now, we start seeing the beauty of this new reality, but it is incomplete yet. As the disparate elements continue to blend, the seams will begin to fade out, giving way to something completely different and unique.
My recent collages reflect this blending of the old and new, combining things that fit perfectly with things that don’t quite have a place yet. Each work includes several layers of glass, and every single layer has its own details. The technique I use to create my collages is very similar to the piecing together of a patchwork quilt. When I layer the images and glass, I emphasize the visual process, and suggest that it remains incomplete. I highlight the imperfections that still exist. The beauty, colors, and brightness give a sense of how beautiful the new reality will be, although we cannot see it all at once.
This series embodies unique collages created around a theme of our new everyday life. Every collage includes images of people and highlights typical daily scenes. The combination of images brings together elements of beauty and the familiar simple pleasures of life. Though the pandemic has frightened the world, it encouraged us to unite and look for new solutions. Life has changed, and new opportunities have emerged. People started thinking and acting more globally, supporting each other and sharing hope and faith. I believe this is what humanity is striving for now: to find the right balance and harmony. This is what unites us as all. Our new reality is layers of new experiences, interactions, love, and coming together.
