Erika Zaripova

My work challenges reductive narratives that shape common understandings of nationality and belonging. By combining contemporary photographs with my familial archives, I articulate my diverse heritage, a confluence of  Slavic Russian and Central Asian Tatar influences from my upbringing in Ufa, just west of the Ural Mountains. The images—ranging from symbolic depictions of birch trees and dachas to intimate family snapshots—offer a reflection on the complexities of cultural identity within the Russian nation-state, challenging viewers to consider the multifaceted nature of home, tradition, and belonging beyond geopolitical boundaries.

Erika Zaripova is a Russian photographer based in New York City.