"The way I am" - series of self portraits.

reference to Rineke Dijkstra, Odessa, 1993 

My name is Misha, I am 33 and for the past 14 years I live in Brooklyn, NY.

I was born and raised in the legendary city situated on the South of Ukraine, called Odessa. It's a big port on the shore of the Black Sea and it's famous for its unique culture. It is believed (and I couldn't agree with it more) that you can take a man out of Odessa but it is impossible to take Odessa out of a man. We call our city Odessa-Mama.

My parents are very warm and kind people who give me so much love, care and attention that sometimes I even envy myself. Unfortunately I am a troublemaker and being my parents require lots of patience.
They came to America at old age and, of course, they are still keeping very "russian" lifestyle despite all the years spent in America. One of their "hobbies" is to collect what I often call "garbage" and despite all of my efforts not to be like them in this particular regard it somehow passed on me as well. After all - I believe that the biggest part of us is who our parents are.

Another influence that is hard to ignore is what we do for living. Very often it is, on one side, a mirror of who we are as well as a shaping tool on the other. Our professions take so much time of our lives that its imprint simply cannot be brushed off. And being a paparazzo - well, it's a good subject for a deep psychology research.

I was raised with very strong jewish identity and for a long time jewish culture, religion and community played one of the most significant parts of my life. However, with time, I am becoming more and more distant from it, mixing it with other philosophies, becoming more open to other cultures. Lately I am fascinated with Asia. But non the less my Jewish identity is still with me and is in my heart, never forgotten.

I am an observer and a thinker. Sometimes too much of a thinker, given that I am not an overly optimistic person (which passed on me from my dad). Sometimes I tend to give in to melancholy and foggy weather is one of my favorites.

I enjoy pushing people out of their comfort zones, to surprise and even to shock - I think that very often people are too busy with their mundane existence that they have to be reminded about unusual around them. That applies to Brooklyn more than to Manhattan, of course :)
So sometimes I dress outrageously just to put up a little show, to add a little bit of color to grey shades of everyday routine.

I am a social person and I love company of my friends almost just as much as I love to be in the center of their attention.

But even when I come home I am never alone for I have a rabbit, a parakeet and a turtle living with me. All of them were found on streets - my home is like a little rescue place for lost pets with amazing personalities. However, sometimes I wish that it'd be my son rather than the rabbit that I hold so gently.

And then, of course, internet and social networks - who can resist to this time-eaters? - definitely not me.

So - this is me - a small guy living in big world, full of good, of bad and whatnot...

Goodnight. Спокойной Ночи.