Exile lived and Inherited
Author Svetlana Boym writes about “diasporic intimacy”, “In contrast to the utopian images of intimacy as transparency, authenticity and ultimate belonging; [diasporic intimacy] is rooted in the suspicion of a single home, in shared longing without belonging.”
We have lived in many places. Our cities lived come in and out of focus, sometimes blurred together and overlapping, other times sharp and distinct in their memories. A distrust of belonging and a questioning for where ones belongs are in constant battle. A body in motion stays in motion.
Following is a series of sketches produced between 2024-2025 exploring these subjects.
Above sketch: Working through shame. On the floor with inherited objects. “[Immigrant] souvenirs do not recontruct the narrative of one’s roots but rather tell the story of exile.” - Boym
Sketch: Working through shame. On the floor with inherited objects. Great grandfather’s kosher spoon. Father’s Israeli army dog tags. Ashkenazi profile.
Sun Window. Kiev 1967. Photo credit: Valery Kanevsky
Sun Window. Kyiv 2025. Photo credit: New York Times
Sketch: Mapping the floor plan of childhood apartment from photographic clues. Window. Radiator. Rug. Curtain. Doorway. Sink. Pot. Lamp. Wallpaper.
Sketch: Model of Kiev apartment. Constructed from photographic clues. Rusanivka District
Sketch: What we came with. Protrait: Kanevsky Family, Bronx, New York, 1976. Film negatives, ring, wedding rings, brooch with slippers, powder compact with bird, passport photos, university diploma pin, gold chain, ring, brooch, army dog tags, cigarette package, birth identifiaction tags worn on mother’s wrist and baby’s ankle, university diploma documents, birth certificates, marriage documents.