Varvara Uhlik

b. 1997 Ukraine

Based in London (United Kingdom)

‘Drawing from my experiences of growing up in eastern Ukraine, my practice explores the personal and social complexities inherited by the post-Soviet generation. I reflect on the lasting effects of generational trauma and Russian imperialism on individual and collective identities, as well as their ongoing influence on the contemporary socio-cultural landscapes of Eastern Europe.

My practice is driven by a need to process and understand my own history, personal and collective. I’ve always been surrounded by remnants of the Soviet past and its quiet traumas. I’m inspired by the relationship between nostalgia and disillusionment, between memory and forgetting. I find a lot of motivation in digital culture – how images circulate, mutate and shape our perceptions of reality. These layers of influence push me to explore how visual language can hold space for ambiguity, vulnerability and resistance.

My goal is to create images that linger, inviting viewers to question what is remembered, what is forgotten and how both are shaped by history, memory and technology. This feels especially prescient in an age where even memories can be simulated by AI, blurring the boundaries between truth and fabrication. Through my work, I hope to share a more nuanced understanding of Ukrainian culture, one that goes beyond narratives of war and suffering.’

varvarauhlik.com
instagram.com/varavarka

Images:

1-Varvara Uhlik, In the Black Sea with Auntie and Mom, 2024, from the series Sunshine, How Are You? © Varvara Uhlik 

2-Varvara Uhlik, Visiting Aunt in Crimea, 2023, from the series Sunshine, How Are You? © Varvara Uhlik 

Bringing together 66 artists from across the world, Photo Elysée celebrates emerging talent with the touring exhibition Gen Z: Shaping a New Gaze, currently on display at Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, Germany, until 30 August 2026. As media partner, 1000 Words is featuring the work and accompanying texts of all participating artists in our weekly column dedicated to new voices in contemporary photography.