Norma Zju Natalie

I was forced to leave my homeland, Belarus; the Supreme Court expelled me from Ukraine; and the Swedish authorities stripped me of the name I was given at birth. Artist, photographer, drag activist.
My life alternates between masculine and feminine roles—a dance that enriches the palette of my world with vivid, striking hues. Through this duality, I explore the ways people shed their masks, slipping into the "fabric" of their true selves. They say culture shapes us—sometimes into creatures of aggression. For me, the question is not what culture demands, but what lies beneath when we stop performing.
I am fascinated by the behaviors of individuals and groups bound together by shared purpose or profession. Their dramas and struggles burrow deeply into my soul, leaving a weight that can only be exhaled through art. It is both my refuge and my revolt—a way to process the unbearable beauty and pain of human existence.
And when I am overwhelmed by outrage at the injustices of the world, the goddess within me rises to protest, channeling my fury and compassion into a creative act of defiance.

Utbildning
Photography, Minsk technological college, Minsk, Belarus, 1993-1996
Art Deco, BELARUSIAN STATE ACADEMY OF ARTS, 2000/2001
Costume, Odessa Theatre and Art School , 2016/2018

Medlem i konstnärsförening
Duo Contradiction

Utställningar
Installation “In drag we trust”, Pomada gallery, January 8-19, 2014, Kyiv Ukraine
Installation and photo exhibition “ Tattoo or not tattoo”, Bunkermuz gallery, March 4-28,2015, Ternopil Ukraine
Photo exhibition “ Uman children”, Unan community culture gallery, June 1-10, 2015, Uman Ukraine
Installation “Stop IKEA supporting terror in Belarus”, Livets Fest, 2021, Stockholm
Exhibition ”Hantverk som räddar liv”, Armémuseum, May 15-29, 2022, Stockholm
Installation “The Camo Hope”, Ukrainian days, June 18, 2022, Stockholm
Installation “The Camo Hope”, Milk Shake Festival, July 29-31, Amsterdam
Art wins the war, Lviv Polytechnic, 9-25/03 2023, Lviv, Ukraine
Childhood, Spazio Seisentro, 2-26/02 Milano, Italy