This project explores Volga Blue, a rare stone quarried in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. Its distinctive blue crystalline pattern appears only under specific light; otherwise the stone seems almost entirely gray.
For this series, fragments of Volga Blue were collected from industrial waste—pieces normally discarded and used as roadside gravel. Seeds were germinated on these stones and photographed in macro, revealing fragile new life emerging across ancient mineral surfaces.
Created during the ongoing war in Ukraine, the work reflects on resilience and renewal.
The blue within Volga Blue is also symbolic. Like hope, it is not always visible at first glance. It requires a particular angle, a particular light, and attention to reveal itself.