Marina is a girl who experienced a personal catastrophe at a still unconscious age, who almost doesn't remember herself looking like an average person, who has undergone over 60 surgeries and had to stay in the hospital several times a year. And she hasn't locked herself away, cursing her fate, quite the opposite, Marina found the strength and courage to become a model, to run a blog where she shares her personal stories about inclusion and diversity, and to help burn survivors around the world. And she thrives beyond the scars, pain, and insults.

The portraits of Marina are accompanied by her quotes — taken from our conversations and her social media posts. Through these quotes, I try to give her a voice, allowing the viewer to step into her shoes for a moment and understand her daily struggles. These are deeply personal stories, emotions, and experiences of my heroine — an ordinary girl living an extraordinary life, which has made her extraordinarily strong, brave, kind, and open.

Alongside each portrait, I inserted a botanical photograph and a drawing of natural elements that I made in association with her image. These rhymes might lie in lines, shapes, colors, or sensations. But the key to this connection is imperfection. There is nothing perfect, smooth, or flawless in nature. And therein lies its beauty, just like in Marina's rough, burnt skin, her deformed figure.

As a photographer, I value human diversity and individuality above all else. I see beauty in what is unusual and unique far more than in what is harmonious and conventionally perfect. I strive to show how beautiful differences are and how wonderful the world could be if everyone had the right to look the way they do — without being judged for their appearance by others.