Victoria Bulgakova

“Ваза” translates from Ukrainian as “vase.”

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Vases were a staple in every household because it was customary to gift flowers on birthdays and major holidays. But it was not common to buy flowers just for pleasure, so most of the year, vases stood unoccupied.

 

Almost no one owned a simple vase; they were often made of bohemian crystal with intricate carvings, as if they needed to justify their place while not fulfilling their main purpose—holding flowers.

 

To me, though unfilled, these vessels never seemed empty. Boundaries always hold something, visible or not. Does their silhouette hint at what’s inside?