oNo

“Ono” is the closest thing most slavic languages have to a gender neutral pronoun. Not as versatile as the English “they”, it has a knack for describing things that lack autonomy – objects, plants, infants and animals – thus it feels rude, dehumanizing even, to let it accompany anyone above a few months old.

And yet, it’s the only one we have.

A recent phenomenon among younger slavic people has been experimenting with incorporating this pronoun as our own version of “they”, changing it into something that allows for ambiguity, yet remains dignified. It’s a way of doing what we can, with what we have – and that approach is what inspired this project.

“oNo” seeks to show the many ways queer people in oppressive space can reach some form of self expression. Crossdressing, make-up, pondering the limitations of our bodies – all part of a drive to take what little you have and mold it into something that truly represents “You”. Imbued with scattered elements of cultural wear, as well as pieces of “the body”, this exhibition acts as an exploration of the not-so-black-and-white world of queerness, seen through the seasoned lens of an international.

This photography project is a collaboration with my friend Iaroslava Polusmak. As a gay/lesbian duo, hailing from Poland and Russia respectively, we know first hand how limiting “back home” can be. The exhibition encompasses the many ways that we as queer people get to shift our lives, be it through language, dress or body.