I’ve been following Daria Hlazatova for many years. When the war broke out in Ukraine, instagram almost shut her down for telling her experience. To get around the algorithms she uses symbols in words like “war” and horror” and “death.” Despite the ongoing war – she continues to make art. 

W♧r Diary:

I chuckle when I think of myself years ago, a student, answering the “where do you imagine yourself in 20 years” question at the English language exam. Not even my untamed imagination could picture the h0rror that came here, to stay with us.

Today was the first time an air ra1d al3rt got me in a shopping centre. A male voice kept repeating, “The d♡nger of a m|ss1le ^tt^ck has just been announced across the country…” or something like that and one by one the lights began to go off behind me, like in some 90s indie music video. I ran to the cashier desk to pay for the items of my hurried choice – and as the lady was beeping the register, I noticed behind her a poster with a friendly typeface. Counterintuitively it read: “What to do in case of a nucl3ar expl0sion.”

Not much, I guess.
Swear?
Laugh?

Look at the invisible camera like they did in The Office and shrug?

Meanwhile the male voice kept w^rning us of the potential d♡nger. In the dark I walked out towards the exit with my silly underwear and even sillier socks thinking about life and d3ath.

That’s all for today folks!

June 21st, 2024
Ukraine

You may find Daria on:
Instagram
Etsy

Image: Daria Hlazatova W♧r Diary

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Sending so much love!

Holly

June 23, 2024
Hudson Valley, New York