“No Rest at Protest” series is inspired by a process of detachment from the homeland. I left Ukraine three and a half years ago. Throughout this time I was observing the changes, I was facing. These include the personal attitude towards patriotism and the phenomenon of friendship in spite of distance. Immigration also influenced my overall viewpoint on the choice of being an artist and staying true to your statements. I also explored the trance-continental dialogue one faces through a change of geographical location and the access to the social media that keeps you up to date with the lives that used to surround oneself. Mixed fillings caused the dream-like mixture of memories combined with current political and cultural events that troubled the world in 2014-16.
“Art Under Fire” – acrylic on canvas 82”x48”. This painting is about the absurdity of cultural affairs in the situation of political instability and corruption. It depicts Ukrainian artists (some are the people I studied with in Art Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine. Others are the Academy’s faculty and contemporary Ukrainian artists, whom I consider my artistic mentors). They are painting the benches in the middle of the burning field. It signifies the escapism in work and person’s fragility in the surrounding chaos that Ukraine faces at the moment. But in reality, it is not limited to the Ukrainian situation. We are seeing more violence in the everyday society and it this is simply a reflection on culture [civilization].
“Found Near Heaven” – acrylic on canvas 96”x49”. The ‘A Feast in Time of Plague’ of the modern age. It is a celebration of social diversity and youth. It depicts my friends I grew up with and those who influenced my worldview the most. It also shows a famous Ukrainian cyclist Yaroslav Popovych toasting at the head of the ‘peloton’ and myself wearing a red vest. On the right of the painting, there are the Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov and his friend activist Alexander Kolchenko, who are serving a 20-year prison sentence in Russia and are charged with the terrorist activity. They are held imprisoned in spite of the world cultural society’s petitions to free them and the lack of actual evidence supporting the charge.
“I Am The Leader” – acrylic on canvas 98”x46”. This one tells a story of person’s growth and corruption in sports. It shows a celebration of justice as an ex-president of FIFA Sepp Blatter is ‘brought on the carpet’ in front of Cristiano Ronaldo to answer for the slavery comments and corruption deeds in the world of soccer. On the back – there is a feast that celebrates peace and prosperity and shows all the people from undeveloped countries, who work hard to prove their place in the world of sports. Among them is a Giro d’Italia champion Nairo Quitano, who grew up in poverty in Columbia and inspired the cycling society with his modesty.
