In Russian culture, the notion of a "душа" closely translates to the English word, soul. There exists a level of frustration when English words are unable to capture the true meaning of a Russian idea. This frustration is played out through code-switching: when a speaker alternates between two language varieties during the context of a single conversation. For some, code-switching becomes a natural form of speech, and perhaps for many people their natural form of thought. We articulate our emotions and ideas in a single language, yet the way in which we contrive of them is in a unique mental construction specific to an individual. The painting "Dusha" is a visual representation of code-switching, using the Cyrillic and English alphabet to mesh the true spelling of the Russian "soul" with the word's phonetic spelling.

Polina Isurin

Polina Isurin