16 April 2024
Yana Bachynska
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Yana Bachynska, (born 1991, Lviv, Ukraine), visual artist, curator, and film director whose work queers grand narratives. Holding a master’s in multimedia from the Academy of Arts in Szczecin (2019) and another in philosophy from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (2013), they weave individual experiences into collective ones, seeking unity in dichotomies.
For When Solidarity Is Not a Metaphor, Yana Bachynska is presenting a series of textile sculptures entitled Pantheon of Fleeing Spirits (2022-ongoing).
In Pantheon of Fleeing Spirits, Bachynska interlaces the tangible and intangible experiences of war. Derived from personal attire and found fabrics, the textile pieces narrate the harrowing journey of refugees, augmented by Bachynska’s poignant personal insights. Transitioning from a filmic to a fabric-based medium due to wartime nomadism and constant displacement. The textile works are accompanied by texts, which serve as observations and reflections on what has been seen. The artist reflects on clothing as both a survival tool and a transient home, echoing the instability of refugee life:
As a refugee, you are left without guarantees or stability. Clothes become your only possession and your home. They appear from nowhere, given as gifts, acquired in charity centers, and sometimes bought second-hand. But they also have to disappear with the seasons and moves. You have no closet, only a suitcase. In my case, I didn't throw my clothes away, but used them to write the story of my displacements.
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