The girl in the picture is almost naked, which means her insecurity and vulnerability to the enemy. She embroiders a military uniform with the pixels looking like flowers. It's more than a uniform now — it's a talisman. Her ribbons carry the words devoted to the peaceful life she dreams about, taken from a Ukrainian folk song: Oh, on the mountain rye, there are thin mowings; And who will unravel the young girl's braids? The Cossack will unravel, the Cossack will weave, The Cossack will lead the girl to the marriage.

Svitlana Gryb, 2022