Personal project “Натщесерце” (“Unfed” from ukranian)
Writing & Illustrations
“Натщесерце” (“Unfed”) is my exploration of trauma, war, and healing through both words and images. As both author and illustrator, I’ve created nine interconnected essays that tell my story of dying twice before turning 20, finding myself displaced by war, and searching for home between Ukraine and Switzerland.
When I began this project, I knew traditional narrative alone couldn’t capture the fragmented nature of memory and trauma. That’s why I chose to integrate my artwork throughout the text. Each illustration emerges from the same emotional space as the writing – raw, honest, and sometimes painfully direct.
My visual approach combines ink, oils, and watercolor in a predominantly monochromatic palette, with deliberate uses of red that echo themes of life, death, and rebirth running through the text. I wanted the illustrations to speak when words failed me, particularly when addressing the most difficult aspects of my experience – bulimia, childhood trauma, war, and displacement.
Throughout the book, I work with recurring visual motifs that carry their own narrative weight. Trees appear repeatedly, representing my family roots and personal growth. Birds symbolize both freedom and displacement, while water reflects changing emotional states. Hands emerge as symbols of human connection and its loss. These images aren’t mere decoration – they’re integral to the story, offering another layer of emotional truth.
My process involved creating multiple versions of each illustration, working until the visual impact matched the emotional weight of the text. I carefully considered placement within the essays, ensuring that images and words work in harmony rather than competition. The result is a multimedia narrative that reflects the complexity of trauma and healing, memory and forgetting, belonging and displacement.
“Натщесерце” represents my attempt to transform pain into art, to find beauty in broken places, and to create something meaningful from my experiences. Through combining visual and written storytelling, I’ve tried to create a more complete picture of what it means to lose and find yourself, to leave home and create it anew.
