Pop-Up Art Exhibition “My Home Is” by Yana Mostitsky Dedicated to LGBTQ+ Refugees

San Francisco, CA - On September 12th, from 6-9 PM, the Minna Art Gallery (111 Minna St, San Francisco, CA) will host a special pop-up exhibition by Yana Mostitsky titled “My Home Is…”. This international project is dedicated to LGBTQ+ refugees from Russia who have fled to the United States in search of freedom after the Russian Federation passed a law outlawing all LGBTQ+ organizations. The exhibition is part of a networking event organized by the nonprofit Out Professionals San Francisco (​​https://www.outprofessionals.org/chapters/california/san-francisco/). More information about the exhibition and tickets can be found at: https://outpro-networking-sf-sep2024.eventbrite.com. The “My Home Is…” The International Social-Fashion Photography Project is dedicated to those who had to flee their homes and abandon their lives after the Russian Federation approved a law that made it impossible for LGBTQ+ Russians to live openly without the threat of persecution or danger to their safety. Summer 2013 marked a turning point for many LGBTQ+ individuals in Russia when the law “For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values,” more commonly known as the “anti-gay propaganda” law, was passed by the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. Despite its name, the law did not protect anyone; instead, it attacked and destroyed families, connections, and lives. More than ten years later, this law has taken an even uglier form, proclaiming all LGBTQ+ organizations as extremist, forcing many LGBTQ+ Russians to flee their homes and leave their lives behind—not just to preserve their dignity, but to secure their basic right to love whom they love and be who they are. Fleeing through the US-Mexico border, these individuals fought for the very things so many of us take for granted: love, companionship, and personal freedom—crucial and vital aspects of the deeply human experience. Our models—Aleksander Sidorets, Georgii Mikhalevskii, Kristina Oleynik, and Elizaveta Sergeeva—have lived through the experience of forced migration and have come to the USA in hopes of enjoying the very freedoms we all cherish. With their help and clothing designed by ZHIRóU | ziyi yin, which features clean lines and a genderless concept, we aim to highlight the androgynous beauty that transcends simple duality. Beauty without limits and love that knows no bounds. The essence of our project is captured in the simplistic beauty of human connection, emphasized by makeup and hair designer Marina Shevelina and stylist Xinyi Zhang, and brought to life by photographer Yana Mostitsky, with assistance from Olga Denisova. The “My Home Is…” international project is not just a union of creative minds gathered around a common purpose, but a union of compassion and respect for unique experiences and beauty that has no limits. The artist will present this social-fashion project to the public for one night only, from 6-9 PM, in the cozy and hip environment of the Minna Art Gallery in San Francisco. The exhibition is part of a nonprofit networking event organized by Out Professionals San Francisco, led by their ambassador, Danny Gray. Visitors are welcome to stop by, mingle, grab a drink from the gallery bar, and enjoy the musical vibes provided by local SF EDM artists DJ Astronominal (@astronominal) and DJ Victor V. (@dj_caspar_one). Yana Mostitsky is a commercial and fashion photographer based in San Francisco, CA. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Photography from the Academy of Art University, SF, where she received the Best Portfolio of the Year award. Her work has earned numerous international awards in photography contests in Tokyo, Paris, Moscow, and beyond, and has been featured in several exhibitions across the US. In 2023, she had a solo exhibition at the 625 Gallery in San Francisco, and her works were included in group shows at The PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, VT ("Portals: Windows, Mirrors, and Doors") and APA San Diego’s Bread & Salt Art Gallery ("Untitled - 2022"). Mostitsky is renowned for finding the beauty and power in her subjects and expressing it through fine portraiture. When asked about her inspiration, Mostitsky said, "I love incorporating notes of humor in my imagery. However, the observer will laugh with my subject, not at them. People’s faces are interesting, beautiful, and captivating in their unique ways, and my job is to find the appropriate light, angle, and decisive moment to encapsulate this essence in my shot." When asked about the art exhibition, Mostitsky said, “The ‘My Home Is…’ international project is not only about the beauty of companionship beyond the limits of gender; it is also an artistic medium—a way to tell the story of the struggles that some of us face just to preserve who we are and to love who we choose. Our work is designed to showcase the value of personal freedom and the importance of our ability to love, using photography as a vital artis

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2601849-0

Exhibitor: https://go.evvnt.com/2601849-2

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