Pod Pokrovom
Nadezhda Egarmina
This book is a visual and conceptual exploration of the layers that shape human identity—cultural, religious, historical, and subconscious. Designed as a coffee table book, it uses transparent and colored pages to symbolize these overlapping forces. Each section is represented by a distinct color, gradually moving inward from the outermost societal layers to the innermost human core. The physical format reflects the idea that identity is not singular but built from intersecting systems and inherited narratives.
As pages are turned, colors blend and obscure one another, mirroring how societal expectations often mask our natural selves. The most transparent pages at the book’s center represent the pure, unfiltered human layer—what remains when imposed meanings are stripped away. This layering invites readers to engage not only visually but metaphorically, peeling back the constructs that define who we are.
A central case study in the book is the evolution of head coverings in Russian society. From traditional Orthodox veils to Soviet-era uniformity and post-Soviet expressions of individuality, these garments act as cultural artifacts—revealing the intersection of gender, power, and belonging. Through them, we see how deeply external symbols can reflect internal realities.
This project blends design, anthropology, and visual poetry. It seeks to provoke reflection: What layers do we carry without noticing? What do we choose to reveal or conceal? And beneath it all—who are we, really?