“My home is…” International project is not only about the beauty of companionship, beyond the limits of gender, it is also an artistic medium. A way to tell a story of a struggle that some of us face, just to preserve who they are and have an ability to love who they choose.
Art is a universal tool, it can take many forms and have many uses. It can win hearts and inspire minds. As artists, it is both our shield and our weapon. So we started this project not only because we wanted to highlight the magic of deep connection and love in its many forms, but also - bring to attention the very price some of us have to pay to keep it. Summer 2013 was a turning point for many LGBTQ+ people in Russia, because the act “For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values”, more commonly known as the “anti-gay propaganda” law, was approved by the Federation Council of Russian Federation. Despite its name it did protect, it did nothing but attack and destroy. Families. Connections. Lives.
After more than ten years this law took an even uglier form proclaiming all LGBTQ+ organizations to be extremist and forcing many LGBTQ+ Russians to flee their homes, leaving their lives behind. Not just to preserve their dignity, but to have the very ability to love who they love and be who they are. Fleeing through the USA-Mexico border, these people were fighting for things so many of us take for granted. Love. Companionship. Personal freedom. A crucial and vital part of deeply human experience as we know it.
Our models: Aleksander Sidorets,Georgii Mikhalevskii, Kristina Oleynik and Elizaveta Sergeeva lived through the experience of forced immigration and fled to the USA, in hopes to have the very freedoms we all enjoy.
With their help and clothing made by fashion designer - ZHIRóU | ziyi yin, with its clean lines and genderless concept, we want to highlight the androgen beauty that lies beyond the boundaries of simple duality.
Beauty without limits and love that knows no bounds.
The essence of our project is captured in the simplistic beauty of human connection, highlighted by our makeup and hair designer Marina Shevelina and stylist - Xinyi Zhang. Captured by our photographer: Yana Mostitsky with the assistance of Olga Denisova.
“My home is..” international project is not just a union of creative minds gathered around the same purpose, but a union of compassion and respect to unique experiences and beauty that has no bounds.
