Dear You… (2022)

I understand that this is very sensitive time for everyone, especially for the Ukrainian and Russian people and everyone who has relatives/families or some connection to the countries, but this project will be asking people living in London, from any nationalities, to write a one-page handwritten letter dedicated to someone or something they wish they could speak to right now when thinking about what is happening in Ukraine today. The letters don’t have to be written to someone they actually know, or even to a person. It can be to the loved ones, to politician, to an object, …etc.
Letters are a memorial to the feelings of the writers during these times and, perhaps, to the feelings of all of us.

My hope is that these letters, alongside the portraits of those who wrote them, will capture their voices and hearts in this moment of the difficult time, people will see this project, take a moment to think about what is happening today, remember, and Act.

Why hand written Letters: 
My idea for letters actually came from remembering my experience as a child visiting the War Museum in Tokyo. There were many letters from young men in the second World War writing back to their families. Until then soldiers and war seemed a distant idea to me but when I saw/read them, I was shocked and they suddenly became something or someone that I could relate to and I am hoping the similar experience will happen to my project’s letters’ readers, who are thinking this Ukrainian invasion is a distant world’s story to rethink, or people to take a moment to think what is happening today and if possible, take it into action. I believe in the power of hand written letters.
Letters have the ability to humanize those we cannot see, different from texts or emails.In moments like these, it is important to remember that we are all human.
As mentioned above, I’m engaging every nationalities to join this project because what is happening in Ukraine is humanitarian disaster, and this involves everyone not just two nations. 
(Please Click to zoom in to read the letters)