Art guide with BURSA
Diana Andrunyk is a photographer and author of the project " Not like other she” which is dedicated to peculiar women in Ukraine. This project is about the beauty of every woman, their strength and ability to remain themselves.
From 9 to 26 of September, an exhibition of the project will take place in Kyiv at the “Shcherbenko Art Center”, in Dnipro at “Floyd Space” and in Odesa at “4city”.
We invited Diana in BURSA to learn more about the project and its history of creation.
- Why did you decide to make this project?
- In 2015, I went to the movie "Salt of the Earth" about photographer Sebastian Salgado. At that period of time, I was looking for my own style and type of photos that would reflect me. The film was telling a story about the life of Salgado and how he spent all his money from selling his works on digging wells. He said that photographers can change someone’s life with their work. After this movie, I wanted to take pictures that would help others and change their lives for the better. Moreover, when I was a kid I used to have problems with bullying at school. I even studied to be a lawyer to help people.
- How was the first shooting?
- The first heroines of the project (Zhenya Lyulko and Masha Chausovska) are my friends. So, it was easier for me to work with them, because we already knew each other. However, when I saw Varvara, I immediately got an urge to take a picture of her in the project, but I didn't know how to invite her. Imagine, you are writing and saying that you have a project about peculiar girls and you want to take a picture of her. It’s very hard to do so. But when I wrote to her, everything was fine. Many girls were not ready to shoot in lingerie, so I took off my shirt first to make them more comfortable in this situation.
- What are the selection criteria for the project?
- This is a project about a positive life outlook, about self-made women who promote self-love. That's why I always take an interview before the shooting to find out if the person is ready for the project or not.
I want to picture girls who have gone through certain events in their lives, have gone through this path, but they have become strong.
-Why did you decide to make an exhibition?
- The exhibition is dedicated to Dasha Khimchuk, who died before the quarantine. She is the heroine of my project and I decided to honor her memory and support her parents in such a way. Also, I want to raise funds for the treatment of Nadia Voznaya - she has bullous epidermolysis and now she is losing her hearing in one ear and it was one more reason to make an exhibition. I gave 2 years of my life to film, write, find, and communicate with girls. That's why this project has already become a part of me and I feel like a tool in it.
-How did the project help you?
- Before this project, I was looking at myself with a totally different view. The project helped me to love myself. I stopped paying attention to some things that I considered my flaws. Now I like what I see in the mirror. Yes, I'm probably not perfect, but it's me and these things make me. Also when women write to me and say that my project helps them look in the mirror and understand that they are attractive women.
Link to the exhibition of the project