Russian asylum seeker lands place at Glasgow School of Art school thanks to 'powerful' photography project

A Russian asylum seeker has landed a place at Glasgow School of Art after creating an “emotional” college project inspired by being separated from his family.

Ruslan Popov Karhunvatukka, originally from Tomsk in Siberia, came to the UK in 2021 after his family sought asylum for political reasons.

The 21-year-old was finally reunited with his sister and aunt in Armenia in late 2024, a moment which inspired the project – titled Vaguely Familiar.

He developed the project while studying photography at Glasgow Kelvin College. It was exhibited at the end-of-year show, helping him secure direct entry into the third year of the Communication Design degree at GSA.

Ruslan said his work captures the “emotional impact of long-term separation”.

“I hadn’t seen parts of my family in three years. When we finally met again, it wasn’t something I planned to photograph, but the moments just happened. That emotional experience became a visual one; it became the project,” he added.

He credits Glasgow Kelvin College with helping him turn photography from a personal interest into a real path forward.

“Photography was already part of my life, but studying at Glasgow Kelvin College gave me the tools to take it seriously. It gave me time, structure, feedback and belief. That’s what college can do,” he added.

His final project, Vaguely Familiar, was intentionally abstract, avoiding captions or personal backstory, speaking to the universal experience of family, distance and connection.

Ruslan said: “I didn’t want to make it too literal. Everyone has their own idea of what family means. This way, the images could be understood by anyone.”

He also credited his lecturer, Simon Murphy, for encouraging him to publish his work.

“Simon believed in us and took time to understand our ideas. He pushed us to submit work to exhibitions and magazines. That’s how I ended up published in Docu Magazine. Without that encouragement, I wouldn’t have done it,” he added.

Ruslan will start his degree at the Glasgow School of Art in September, but also plans to continue developing Vaguely Familiar as a project.

Ruslan said, “Opportunity is a green light to keep on dreaming. When I got my offer from GSA, it felt like I could finally start expecting something from myself. It gave me confidence.

“Studying communication design will give me more tools. Photography will always be at the heart of what I do, but I want to understand other ways to tell stories too,” he added.