Sasha Yakovleva

I Was There, I Think

This installation is based on a childhood photograph of myself in a traditional Ukrainian outfit, capturing a moment I do not remember. The image is divided into sections, transferred onto raw canvas, and stitched back together by hand. The surface remains uneven, with gaps, overlaps, and areas where the image fades or breaks apart. These disruptions prevent the photographs from reading as a complete or stable record. Instead, it becomes something that is partially missing and constantly shifting. The stitching holds the image together but stays visible, showing where repair and separation exist at the same time. While the photograph suggests cultural identity, the absence of memory creates distance from the image itself. The work looks at how photographs can hold moments we cannot fully access, and how identity can be shaped through fragments, reconstruction, and what remains.