Yet still, rebirth. In the ordinary ache of waking.

A story of resilience and care told through the bond of кума (kuma). Documenting Iryna’s life through exile, return, and war, the work honors the quiet persistence of daily existence. Rebirth in the ordinary ache of waking.

In Ukrainian, there are words that hold more than meaning. They carry history, tradition, and entire ways of living. One of these words is кума (kuma). More than a godmother, a kuma is a chosen sister, a companion for all of life’s joys and sorrows. The tradition of кумівство (kumivstvo) embodies trust, loyalty, and shared destiny, a bond that weaves people together across generations. It is a living practice of friendship and care, a social model of belonging and resilience.

Yet still, rebirth. In the ordinary ache of waking, is born from such a bond. Iryna and I are not only photographer and subject, but kuma. Sharing life, navigating exile and return, motherhood and loss, in different languages and cultures, yet always together. Each photograph grows from this closeness, becoming both witness and act of presence: small gestures of shared life, quiet affirmations of resilience in uncertain times.

I first met Iryna in Italy in 2022, just days after she fled Kyiv. Two weeks later, she gave birth to her second daughter. Over the year we spent together, our lives intertwined and we became kuma, a bond that embodies trust, care, and chosen kinship. This closeness allows me to photograph from within a relationship, witnessing the intimate rhythms of care, resilience, and tenderness that define her life.

The project began in 2022 and is ongoing. I have followed Iryna across Italy and western Ukraine, documenting her experiences of migration, motherhood, and eventual return to Kyiv in 2023. Along the way, we shared deeply personal moments. The birth of her children, the funeral of her brother, a military doctor. Each moment emphasizes not only survival, but also the endurance and growth of life amidst uncertainty.

Photographed in natural light and black-and-white, the series leans into intimacy. It is a reportage of everyday moments, with close framings of domestic gestures layered with wider shots of empty rooms and fragmented landscapes. The rhythm shifts between stillness and movement, reflecting the uncertainty of life in transition. My approach centers on holding space for vulnerability, attending to what often goes unseen, and translating the quiet strength of daily life into images that honor presence and resilience.

Yet still, rebirth. In the ordinary ache of waking, reflects this fragile rhythm of life in Ukraine. Each morning is uncertain, disturbed by sleepless nights spent hiding from drones and missile attacks, shadowed by the fear of what may come. And yet, life insists on itself. Children go to school, meals are prepared, work is carried out. There is no space for giving up. Rebirth happens not in grand gestures, but in the ordinary persistence of waking again, of choosing life despite everything. This project honors that quiet, daily act of resistance.

With the support of this grant, I aim to produce a book. The work will speak to mothers, migrants, and anyone grappling with resilience in times of upheaval. Beyond Iryna’s individual story, it seeks to show how much life continues to flourish despite war. The project highlights the unseen labor of care, the quiet acts of resistance embedded in everyday life, and the enduring bonds that sustain people through uncertainty.