I was born on February 22, 1984 in Kherson, Ukraine in a family of ship cooks. My childhood and youth were spent on the ruins of the communist era with all the ensuing consequences. Completely ignorant of myself and what I really want, I followed the footsteps of my parents to the maritime officer career at sea. I gained financial independence, but no satisfaction. Looking for senses, I started to practice digital photography solely as a hobby. That all changed in 2009, when I first saw realistic digital collages. Since then, I have been actively working and developing in this genre, creating artworks with spiritual and philosophical meaning. Experimenting with techniques and images, I discovered my own style to convey both rational and sensual sides of my world. I also started using my artistic practice as a tool for exploring and transforming myself.
   From February to November 2022, I stayed in Kherson, struggling for freedom against Russian occupation, making sure from my own experience that happiness and well-being do not depend on external circumstances. "Paradise ('Ray' in Ukrainian) is not a place, but a state of consciousness." During the occupation, I gave more than 30 interviews to international radio, TV and Internet publications about my art and the situation in the city, most of them anonymously. My artworks during this time participated in 9 group and one solo shows in Ukraine, Europe and the USA, visited the photo fair in Rotterdam. 

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