Biryulyovo is a district in Moscow, a typical, quiet residential area on the outskirts of the city with uniform apartment buildings, parks, and shopping malls. When I lived there for about two years, I became fascinated by how its seemingly dull and ordinary appearance held a subtle charm and depth when you looked closer. I wandered through the same neighborhoods, photographing my surroundings, embracing the emptiness brought by COVID-19 and observing the subtle shifts with the changing seasons. Occasionally, I ventured beyond the neighborhood, returning with images that carried the same quiet energy, which are also included in this series. The self-portraits add a human presence to the lonely surroundings, but it stays vague and faceless, blending into the black and white landscapes.
This project focuses on the quiet tension between presence and absence, exploring in-between spaces where familiarity and ambiguity coexist. It reflects on the subtle ways we inhabit these spaces, where the boundaries between the known and the unknown blur. The images evoke feelings of isolation and transition, capturing the emotional search for grounding in familiar environments.