A hundred years ago, Russia also repelled its own people. Just after the 1917 revolution, political opponents were faced with a choice: Forget Russia and move to another country or die. This parallel forms the background of each painting.
For me, people's actions and opinions are literally at the forefront. Those who speak out against a regime are punished twice. The consequences of activism are so harsh that people need to leave, but settling in a new place becomes increasingly difficult. People become uprooted, all homesick for a homeland that is no longer a home.
