Potatos in Uniforms

Potatoes in Uniforms tells the story of two immigrants – a mother and daughter – in perpetual cultural conflict following their emigration to Israel from Ukraine. The two women must adapt to the local mentality and the heightened sense of alienation, while they carry their own post-Soviet baggage and discover Israeli culture. Concurrently, their mother-daughter bond undergoes similar upheavals, which influence their interactions and reveal aspects of closeness and distance. The daughter, becoming a mother herself, reexamines her role from a newfound perspective. This series of photographs raises questions of adolescence, belonging, ethnic origins, family history, and old age. Potatoes in Uniforms refers to a common dish in the USSR by the same name, containing potatoes cooked with their peels. In early 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine and the city of Mariupol, where Ratzker immigrated from, was completely destroyed. “My work has taken on another aspect – the need to protect and fight for our home.”