Where are you from?
“Nenets Girl”, oil on canvas
In 2020 “Nenets Girl” oil painting was one of 50 created for my solo show at the Holland Area Arts Council titled “The Roads of Life”. The exhibition represented 24 countries that I have lived in and explored. This little girl belongs to a native Siberian ethnic group that lives in the region where my daughters and I came from. Through the exploration of Native American history and deep conversation with a Native American guide at Monument Valley, it was confirmed that a large group of Native Americans indeed came from Russian Siberia.
What would be the answer for the Native Americans on the question:
Where are you from?
“Roads of Life”, acrylic and gold leaf, painting representing my life journey with risks, unknowns, and gold opportunities that I had taken. In private collection (SOLD).
As soon as I open my mouth, people say,
“You have an accent—where are you from?”
They usually guess Germany first and then go on naming whatever European countries they remember.
“Go east! Really east!”
I try to help them, but they give up.
So, what is my identity?
I came to the U.S. in 1996 from Siberia at the age of 35. I was born in Belarus (Belorussian Soviet Republic, USSR), were my parents and all our relatives live. All my ancestors are Belorussian.
A few months after I was born, my father entered the Military Academy in Moscow- thus we moved to Russia.
Russia on Canvas. My vision of Russian story with a dark history (left) and a bright culture (folk art & architecture).
My native language is Russian. I have a Russian passport.
My second language is English. I have a U.S. passport.
Am I Belorussian? Or Russian? Or American?
They say your passport determines it all…yet some people have more than one.
My two daughters and I have Russian and U.S. passports.
My husband, who is from England, has British and U.S. passports.
When you ask the locals in the Holland area (Michigan), they proudly call themselves Dutch. Yet practically none of them speak Dutch or were born or ever lived in the Netherlands or carry a Dutch passport. They call themselves such because their ancestors came from the Netherlands. They are proud of their ancestors’ origin. I love that!
My father, Valdimir, took this photo of myself, my mom Sophia and my brother Igor in Cairo Egypt. March 1971.
When my family landed in Cairo, Egypt, in 1971, I was at the age of being open to everything this world has to offer. I fell in love with that faraway totally different from Siberia land, with people’s dark curly hair and darker skin tone, their bright jewelry and fabrics, their Sphinx and pyramids and long exotic history.
My father took this photo (thank God!) with my and my brothers friends on the balcony of our apartment. All my life I treasure this photo capturing our friendship with Hala (on the right).
My 10-year-old Egyptian friend Hala told me of her enigmatic land, showed me ancient ruins and cemeteries, introduced me to the unknown concept of God and took me to walk on the banks of the Nile River where Cleopatra ruled.
“Behind the Curtains”. As I walked along the street in the village, where my mom grew up and spent practically all my summers, I was thinking of hard life of the villagers, all amazingly kind and fun-loving people.
That life in Cairo changed everything in my small world. I discovered how awesome and endless this world is! Since that time, I have seen things and people differently. I instantly developed a strong sense of connection with people all around this lovely world and have found a sense of belonging in practically all lands I’ve put my foot on, whether it was India, Vietnam, Japan, Norway, Azerbaijan, Italy, Bulgaria or any place I have visited. And I went on to pursue my dream to study languages, receiving a master’s degree in philology (the science of languages) and pedagogy.
“Aboriginal Inspired”. While traveling in Australia I was lucky to take an art class of Aboriginal artist. I was fascinated to learn the meaning of the way moving dots create a story representing path, a family around a firepit, sun and journey.
I’ve tried to learn just a few phrases from each country I visited to start a dialogue with local people. But then, with acceptance and respect, and just a smile and genuine desre to learn about them, we could establish such powerful connection and even develop relationships, just like I did 50 years ago in Cairo with my Arabic friend.
This whole-world mindset affected how I raised my daughters, how I have lived and worked.
The most important thing I learned is that nothing is black and white.
Every subject matter or conversational topic has many sides due to different cultures and experiences. I believe my ability to listen and try to understand where someone is coming from has helped me succeed professionally in both Russia and the US.
I am one of you. I respect your point of view even if it does not make any sense to me.
At the age of 10, I made the decision to study languages to connect with people around the world. At the age of 52, I chose to focus on one common language for the entire world…the language of art.
Thank you for taking this journey with me,
With Love,
Alla
By the Lake MIchigan, Holland. Photo credit to my daughter Uliana Zurita, photographer.