It’s been sort of like Groundhog Day for more than two months now.
Almost a season has gone by, and most of us have gotten used to carrying out our routines within the few square metres of our homes, while trying to ignore the fact that the days are mixing together like water in water.
In her collage Days, Olga Fedorova – a Saint Petersburg-born artist who lives in Abu Dhabi – has managed to visually encapsulate this feeling of living across interchangeable days. The collage shows a monochrome photograph of her head layered on a consistent coral backdrop.
She has a hook attached to her lip, and her face is concealed behind a school of indistinguishable fish.
The collage, she says, is symbolic of how time has been moving by in the last few months. "Everything is passing by like a shoal of identical fish," Fedorova tells The National. "It's so easy to be drawn into that routine and start feeling depressed. But there is always a way to keep your chin up. There is a way to find something special in each day."
Fedorova's Days is part of her Quarantine Diary collage series. The project, she says, was "born spontaneously" and became both an outlet for, and a reflection of, the emotions she was experiencing during the lockdown.
Fedorova began working on Quarantine Diary during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. There are 50 artworks in the series to date, with Fedorova posting a new one every day on her Instagram account.
When the pandemic broke out, Fedorova – who works as a food and advertising photographer – had to cancel all her scheduled photoshoots. Her two children, aged six and nine, continued their studies from home.
Her husband, who had travelled to Saudi Arabia for work, is stuck in the neighbouring country.
“Under these circumstances I was feeling I needed to make something to picture what’s going on in my life. Especially since I think my experiences are common to what many families around the world are going through.”
With degrees in both photography and graphic design, Fedorova sought to combine the two disciplines in her Quarantine Diary project.
“I started combining photographs with graphics, merging the real and surreal,” she says. “I'm a fan of minimalism. I’m not using a lot of colours or complicated forms in the collages, so the idea I’m plotting in my artwork can be easy understandable.”
Fedorova says that while her collages are helping her stay hopeful about the future, they are also a way for her to collaborate creatively with her children, and the family dog, Betsy.
Her collage Life shows her daughter sitting on a tidal wave with Betsy beside her, both of them stare up at the enormous mauve jellyfish that Fedorova's son is flying in the olive-green sky like a kite.
“I'm a big optimist, and the colourful themes in the works aim to support others with positive vibes,” she says.
“All the pictures for this project are being taken at home, with my kids, dog and myself as models.”
However, it’s not always easy for Fedorova to convince her children to stay still for a photograph. She says she has to clearly express how she’d like her children to pose for the pictures, and which emotion they need to present.
"They give me a maximum of five minutes," she jokes. "Kids are kids… still, they are the main subjects for the Quarantine Diary project, along with Betsy."
The family adopted Betsy as a puppy from a shelter in Abu Dhabi. “She is two years old now. We are very lucky to have Betsy as member of our family. She is the most wonderful dog I ever knew, and she never refuses to pose for a picture.”
The collage First Award is dedicated to Betsy. It shows the saluki-pointer mix in a regally collared outfit, pinned with a medal that looks like those awarded for bravery and service.
“In a way, the collage is dedicated to all pets in quarantine. Their lives significantly changed after distance learning was implemented. Their calm and relaxed life (when kids were at school) was transformed into a permanent hide and seek game.
"I told my children that I will award Betsy with the First Order Award after the quarantine. She deserves it.”
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,050,000
On sale: now
SPECS
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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THREE
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
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Brief scoreline:
Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first
England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66
South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12
