Mariia was born in Kiev after the Chernobyl accident. It was not until she became an adult that she learned that she had hyperthyroidism. Even after having her thyroid gland removed, she suffered from anxiety. The only things keeping Mariia going were painting and her admiration of Japan. Two years ago, her dream of coming to Japan came true at a talk event with a photojournalist who took a photo of her. However, what she saw in Fukushima was vast polluted soil next to a cemetery. Mariia talked about her life in public for the first time in Fukushima, and showed her painting, which was a “dialogue with herself.” She wanted to shine a light on people with invisible “pain.” After Mariia went back to her country, she began to work on a new project, to shine a light on people who suffer from the same pain as she.