ARTIST STATEMENT
As a Ukrainian-born artist and photographer, I use my lens to explore identity, displacement, and the emotional weight of migration. My work often blends documentary and conceptual approaches, creating poetic visual narratives rooted in personal and collective memory. Having resettled in the U.S. during a time of war and uncertainty, I carry with me the experience of both loss and resilience — a duality that finds expression in my images. I am particularly drawn to themes of home, cultural inheritance, and the silent strength of women navigating transformation. Whether through staged self-portraits or portraits of fellow immigrants, I seek to make visible the inner landscapes shaped by trauma, hope, and the search for belonging. My recent series reflects on the psychological impact of forced migration, using symbols such as fabric, plants, and open space to evoke both vulnerability anв human instinct to root and grow. Photography, for me, is not only a tool of documentation but also a method of healing — a way to reclaim agency, narratives, and connect across borders. Through light, texture, and gesture, I aim to speak to universal emotions while honoring the specifics of my own journey as a woman, a mother, and a refugee.
In submitting work to Woman Made Gallery, I join a community of artists who believe in the power of image-making to challenge, empower, and illuminate. My work is an offering — a quiet but urgent voice in the evolving story of what it means to be human, and to be seen.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Anastasiia Terentieva is a Ukrainian-born visual artist and photographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. With over eight years of professional experience in photography, she specializes in wedding, portrait, and fine art photography, often blending emotional storytelling with conceptual imagery. Her artistic practice is deeply influenced by her personal journey as a refugee and mother, and her work frequently explores themes of identity, memory, and resilience in the face of displacement. Anastasiia holds a Master’s degree in Law and is currently completing a certificate in Visual Arts through a Harvard University program. Her recent fine art projects reflect on the psychological experiences of Ukrainian immigrants and the silent strength of women in transition, incorporating elements of symbolism, nature, and narrative self-portraiture. She has been recognized as one of the top wedding photographers in Charlotte and is a certified member of the Professional Photographers of America. Her photographs have been exhibited in the U.S. and Europe, including upcoming exhibitions in New York, London, and Barcelona. Her work has been featured in magazines such as LUX Lifestyle and Artist Close Up, and used on book covers and in educational publications. Through her lens, Anastasiia seeks not only to document but to connect — offering viewers a space to witness vulnerability, beauty, and transformation. Her voice as an artist is both tender and bold, shaped by lived experience and a deep desire to preserve stories that might otherwise remain unseen.
© Anastasiia Terentieva