Tamara Turliun

Tamara Turliun has created a large installation Shkurynka [Crust], which reminds us of either a collection of containers for liquids, or elongated female breasts, or flowers as they start to wilt. The artist bases her work on her own observations of family, thinking of the exhaustion that comes from caring for someone and the connection between generations. Levitating objects recreate the safe space that families create for their offspring, and show the price they pay for it.

Turliun draws parallels between maternal care and a ritual, both of which are magical and exhausting. Creating a portrait of a woman whose body bears witness to all her hard work and caring for others, she depicts the gradual change in the woman’s breasts under the influence of motherhood, work, and time. In this context, the artist speaks of a woman’s loss of a sense of ownership of her body: it turns into a tool for others, goes beyond personal experience and becomes a metaphor. She takes this topic to a broader level, raising the question of exhaustion as a collective condition that affects entire generations.