When I was a child, my grandmother spoke reluctantly about the war she had lived through. From the fragmented pieces of her memories, it was impossible to piece together a complete picture of her fate. Yet, even then, as a child, I sensed that behind these brief stories lay a deep well of complex emotions and feelings. Somewhere deep inside, on a subconscious level, I felt the fear for life and the vulnerability that had left an imprint on my heart. Although the war had not directly touched me, a desire grew within me—to turn away from the pain that, as if by fate, had been passed down to me like an inheritance.

For years, this pain remained buried, but recent events became triggers: the Belarusian protests of 2020 and the inability to reach my family, the war in Ukraine and the waves of refugees—women and children with whom I worked in art therapy within the walls of the Przeswita foundation, the women's protests in Iran and Afghanistan, the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel. These events crashed over me like waves, again and again confronting me with a pain I had long tried to suppress.

When I began working on this series, I felt an overwhelming fear, an aching, unbearable sorrow for what had been lost, unlived, and taken away by war. Tears, raw emotions, only black paint. But gradually, through the darkness, earth and ash began to emerge—patterns, imprints, traces that I wanted to study. From the depths of my consciousness, the voices of my foremothers broke through: "This will not break me." No matter what story unfolds before me, this will not break me. From the shadows, female faces gazed back at me.

Today, my grandmother is 88 years old, and every day she prays for all her loved ones. Just like her pain, her prayer echoes within me.

The project explores female strength, memory, and resilience, merging the personal and the collective through the materiality of artistic gesture. At its core lies a dialogue with history, heritage, and identity, unfolding in a multilayered space of artistic expression.

Women’s faces emerge from the depths of the canvas, from dark, unsettling spaces shaped by bold brushstrokes, abstract lines, and textured imprints of sand. This material expression reflects the tension between memory and the present, between vulnerability and endurance. Figures surfacing through the chaotic textures symbolize women overcoming the violence of history, stepping into the light, and asserting their right to exist beyond the predetermined course of fate.

Materiality plays a key role in the project. Acrylic, oil, sand, and epoxy resin interact to create a complex, uneven surface—a testament to struggle, resistance, but also transformation. The use of augmented reality (AR) expands this interaction, dissolving the boundaries between painting and viewer. The projection of images into the digital realm not only enhances the immersive experience but also emphasizes the idea of multiple realities—historical, personal, and social.

This project does not merely reconstruct women’s histories; it invites the viewer to meet their gaze, to move through layers of symbolism, and to examine the textures of memory. It highlights universal questions of equality, self-identification, and the overcoming of inherited oppression, encouraging a dialogue not only with the artwork but also with one's own internal narrative.

Acrylic painting & Oil painting

Additional reality AR

Installation made of sand and drawings filled in epoxy resin

Video art