Photographer: Mariia Filonenko

I was born on faraway Sakhalin island and I have a mix of Korean and Kamchadal blood. I spent my childhood in Tomsk, a settlement in the middle of Siberia. Having grown up in an artistic family, I often wondered why artists build a wall between society and themselves. I wanted to know why it existed and how it might be changed. In order to learn more about the world around me, I flew 3500 km to the east to start my studies in Vladivostok.
Once I came there, I become exposed to the different realities – I become aware of social injustices, racial discrimination, and political repression.
During these years, Chinese studies broadened my perspectives and gave me new communication skills in an increasingly divisive world. Meeting different people, cultures, and languages can be overwhelming, but also give new insights into the world.

I fell in love with the East so much that I finished my art studies in China, Xiamen. I was already fluent in Chinese and was a graphic designer, but I realized that I only truly love photography. Or maybe it happened out of love for the stories of people you meet? Now I'm living in Poland with my husband and a daughter, where I'm combining my passion for exploring and talents in the artistic field of story-telling through photography.