Invasion: Words from the Exhibiting Artists
Gerardo Bravo
Mother and Dead Child, Oil on wood panel, 16 x 16 in
Artist Statement
In my art, I explore the human condition, and emotions with a contemporary social perspective. As Nietzsche once said: “We have art in order not to die of the truth. In my art I explore human rights topics and social Issues with an abstract and expressionist aesthetic in a symbolic language. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I started working on exploring human interactions in war. In the painting that I’m presenting to International Art and Artist at Hiller I try to express the sorrow in the loss of a child. Money, power and the imposition of Ideas are always the reasons for war. The question is: Can humanity use compassion to recognize and respect each other as equals? The implications on Russian Invasion on Ukraine can lead into a world division that follows a new cold war or into an international agreement of respect depending on the capacity and human understanding of the decision makers. We always hope and expect for the best.
Timothy Brown
The Consequences of War, Digital, acrylic, 9 x 12 in
Artist Statement
This work was created to support IA&A’s stance on the war in Ukraine. The work itself was originally created in response to the war in Kosovo. The first version was painted with acrylic, and re-worked the composition in Procreate to reflect current themes in the Ukraine war. The stylistic underpinnings of the work are largely informed by the bio-morphism of Arshile Gorky and Miro.
Rachel Cecelski
Fly Nightingales Fly!, Acrylic on canvas, 14 x 14 in
Artist Statement
As the war in Ukraine began, I broke down and cried. The country of my ancestors was being invaded and destroyed by an evil authoritarian. My mother’s side of the family were Jewish Ukrainians who fled to America between WWI and WWII to escape antisemitism. At this time, here in the 21st century we are facing down WWIII. Monsters have invaded Ukraine; we must NOT turn a blind eye! That is how those who crave absolute power conquer.
The yellow and blue Nightingales represent the women and children trying to flee before they too are tortured, raped and murdered.
Michèle Colburn
Defying the Odds, Gunpowder and watercolor, 11.5 x 15.5 in
Artist Statement
I focus on themes of domestic and global violence and have been doing so since 1995. Through paintings, sculptures, and installation based work, I strive to transform materials of war into a critical mechanism. My response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war are no exception. The invasion of a sovereign nation is abhorrent to me.
While using hand-manipulated materials to create purposefully aesthetically seductive experiences, I aspire to promote curiosity in the viewer. The media I select and mix with traditional ones and methods, are fraught with terrible associations.
In January of this year, I added more color to my paintings. Working with high intensity watercolors and gunpowder, I experimented with diverse color schemes and began working with yellow and blue, only to be stunned by the ensuing reports of a Russian build up and “military exercises” on Ukraine’s border. I cannot explain this visual foreshadowing and have been continuing to work in this color scheme.
Manipulating deadly armaments, echoes my actions as a lifelong peace activist since the war in Vietnam. Transforming these materials into art media involves processes that render their functions impotent. Through saturating some materials with water, and separating, and gluing others, I aim to transform these residues into catalysts of reflection.
Anna U Davis
Untitled, Acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14 in
Artist Statement
Humankind is a cancer and war is one of our many tools to infiltrate, to conquer and to destroy. Like cancer, our insatiable urge to dominate leaves behind a path of carnage and destruction. We take and destroy what is not ours. We tear communities apart and we leave future generations to face times of great uncertainty. Like cancer, war eventually ends, but the consequences are everlasting. I stand with Ukraine and I hope that one day we can evolve and stand together.
Sharon Fishel
Freedom, Mixed Media, 10 x 10 in
Artist Statement
The necessity of freedom for the Ukrainian people is so important as a basic human right.
Amanda Fletchersmith
Mournful Grace, Acrylic, 12 x 12 in
Artist Statement
The people of Ukraine are on my mind. I couldn’t bring myself to make the images that have swirled around in my head. So I read, and searched, and learned about symbols meaningful to Ukrainians.
I merged my style with a style inspired by Ukrainian folk art. I know it’s not super close, but more of a tribute to a style I really appreciate. This image is of a stork in front of a sunflower with abstracted vincas framing the Ukrainian flag. Representing things I wish for them; luck, protection, and hope.
Nadia Linda Goldstein
Kharkiv, Giclée print, 16 x 14 in
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a horrific act of aggression. The Ukrainian people bravely demonstrate to the free world that people must unify and fight for democracy. Despite having lost homes and family, they press on towards a future free of Russia. The implications of Putin’s war? A more unified Europe and a reinvigorated NATO.
Victoria Hanks
Untitled, Oil on wood, 10 x 10 in
My approach to dealing with the war in Ukraine as artistic subject matter is to go straight to the individual whose megalomania, among other traits, compelled him to start this war – Putin. Putin is arrogant, vain, cruel and takes himself very seriously. I seek to depict him as ridiculous by distorting his features in a kind of surrealist portrait that shows his coldness but also diminishes his power by making him look rather silly.
Gary Honig
Nikoly ne zdavaysya (Never give up), Painting, 5 x 7 in
Artist Statement
Nikoly ne zdavaysya which translates from Ukrainian to Never Give Up. It is critical for all democratic people to stand firm with Ukraine and not be side tracked by the constant distractions. We know they will win, but every day they suffer.
Sabiha Iqbal
Escape, Paper collage with mixed media on paper, 16 x 16 in
Artist Statement
I draw my inspiration from our shifting world landscape and current events. A newspaper headline, a powerful image are all reasons for me to pick up my brush. My paintings celebrate the connectedness and interdependence of human beings against a backdrop of political and social complexities and tensions of our time.
The horrifying images of the war in Ukraine, the wounded, the frightened, the dazed looks of children , the destruction all around, have moved me to paint and record these historic momentous events taking place before our eyes. My collaged work on paper contain contain actual newspaper clippings of of the newspaper I was just reading, with the addition of mixed media. The forms of the image are continued with paint and pen, showing that the story continues beyond the page. Gestures depicting movement, layers of lines suggesting the human body in motion, and placing one image on top of another is a way of making my paintings come alive. Constant movement. Constant change. My aim is to convey with my use of bright colors, and gestures, an undefeated, connected humanity. I want my work to catch the attention of the viewer, make them pause and motivate them to understand such events affect all humanity, not just the ones suffering the direct grievous consequences of the war imposed on them.
Kei Ito
Untitled, Unique c-print photogram in metal frame, 8 x 10 x 1 in
Artist Statement
I am a visual artist working primarily with installation art and camera-less photography. My work addresses issues of deep intergenerational loss and connections as I explore the materiality and experimental processes of photography, visualizing the invisible: radiation, memory and life/death.
My work, fundamentally rooted in the trauma and legacy passed down from my late grandfather – a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, meditates on the complexity of my identity and heritage through examining the past and current threats of nuclear disaster and my present status as an US-immigrant.
Looking back to the past, I expand upon the dialogue revolving around nuclear matters in present times. Before his passing, my grandfather told me the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima “…was like hundreds of suns lighting up the sky.” These words stayed with me for a long time. Drawing upon my grandfather’s words, I mainly use the techniques of camera-less photography, exposing light sensitive material to sunlight, timing the exposures with my breath.
The work I am submitting depicts and captures the shadow of a house, an ephemeral passing idea of home and the things contained within them. For my own inheritance, the fear of losing home to war, violence, and destruction is deeply ingrained into my family. This fear extends well beyond Japan’s borders and my own heritage as forced diasporas caused by conflicts is a shared narrative beyond nation states.
The piece I present offers both a temporary refugee and home to imagine but also documenting and creating a memorial to the homes already lost and the ones to be taken away in the future.
Suzette Jelinek
The Cost, Digital collage, 12 x 16 in
Artist Statement
This work is the depiction of good versus evil, dark versus light, and the peaceful versus the deceitful. The raven is cunning and feeds off carrion and will attack and raid other species. Mystically and culturally, the raven has become associated with the dead, however, they can also represent rebirth or transformation. In this bird lies hope. Mystically, the dove is known in cultures for peace, love, and harmony. The white flag held by the dove is an offering to the raven to surrender to love.
The dove is declaring peace and not war.
Racquel Keller
Peace for Ukraine, Mixed Media, 11 1/8 x 8 15/16 in
Artist Statement
I watch with horror as a beautiful country and its spirited people are forced to defend their homeland. Putin uses violence, the reckless destruction of cities and homes, and the death of countless people in the pursuit of his goal to submit Ukraine to his will. I think of my friends and their families going through this and my heart breaks. I think of all of the families that I do not know, who are making untold sacrifices to keep their families safe while defending their country’s culture and land, and my heart breaks. I think of the mass of humanity that has been forced to leave their homes to seek safety in foreign spaces and my heart breaks. My work speaks of my hope of peace for the people of Ukraine.
Pamela Keravuori
It Wasn’t an Invitation, Acrylic, mixed media on watercolor paper, 14 x 11 in
Artist Statement
Using the colors of Ukraine, often used on national diplomatic invitations, this piece responds to the turmoil caused in the lives of those who didn’t issue the touted invitation Putin claims to have received. Instead, Ukrainian lives have become upended in a frantic effort to deal with an aggressive invasion. It wasn’t an invitation.
Anthony Le
Alla Horska as Berehynia, Color pencil on paper, 11 x 11 in
Artist Statement
Alla Horska as Berehynia is a portrait of Ukrainian artist Alla Horska as the face of the Statue of Berehynia. Horska was a prominent figure in Ukrainian culture especially in the 1960s. The Statue of Berehynia is a symbol of Ukrainian independence in Kyiv.
Ronan Lynam
In Ruin, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 12 in
Artist Statement
The imagery of a shattered Ukraine has been deeply moving to me, and I aim to reflect that through an abstract composition showing the destruction of space. These simplified shapes are rendered amongst voluminous cloudy forms, reminiscent of the smoke that lingers among a place in ruin. Two figures populate the space highlighted by a white circle, representative of the international spotlight on civilian lives affected by this terrible invasion.
Mia MacDonald
Angels in War, Collage, 12 x 12 in
Artist Statement
Angels in War is a combination of collage, embroidery, tape transfers, paint, and clay. The work is a commentary on the American involvement in Ukraine. Currently, there are many blooming efforts within the United States to aid and save what little is left of Ukraine, hence the most prominent imagery in the work: angels. The various types of patchwork intertwined in the collage demonstrate the strengthening bonds between the United States and Ukraine.
Maria Helena Maldonado
Stop the Genocide, Hand print ink on paper, 8 x 10 in
Artist Statement
The artwork, which I created responding to the Invasion theme at the International Art and Artists at the Hillyer, combines two techniques. The piece is embedded in a silk screen of Merton Walk in Oxford University, quintessentially a place of learning, peace, and in many ways an embodiment of a civilized way of life; it is in shadows revealing the how the darkness of the war is eclipsing civilization. The silk screen is overlaid by three handprints with images of bombs falling from the air and different roads taken by the Russian invaders. These handprints were modelled on my hand and or painted in the three primary colors. The blue and the yellow hands stand for the Ukrainian flag, with the red of the blood of war representing Russia’s senseless invasion. Thus, the war on Ukraine represented in the foreground is covering the images of peace in the background and demonstrating the horror of what is lost due to war.
Kathryn McDonnell
Namysto, Multi medium (clay, wire, czech beads, agate, citrine, acrylic, glass, lapis, quartz, brass, lampwork beads, silver plated, aluminum), 16 x 12 x 3 in
Artist Statement
In the spirit of “Namysto” I created a collection of necklaces inspired by the colors of the Ukrainian flag, yellow and blue. The band of necklaces represents Ukrainian women and children who are currently displaced due to the war. The individual handmade necklaces are joined together and wrapped in one continuous strand around a wire armature that is a never-ending Möbius band. Women and children are precious to all of us. The circle/Möbius form represents the interconnected nature of life, culture, society, humanitarian aid and is my response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Traditionally women in Ukraine and the surrounding regions would wear namysto. Necklaces were and important component to a woman’s wardrobe. Women would adorn themselves with necklaces every day. It was bad luck to leave the house without a necklace. On special occasions, weddings, holidays the number of necklaces a woman was able to wear represented her social status and wealth. The earliest records show that the necklaces were made from seeds and shells. Overtime the necklaces were made with coral, pearls, semiprecious stones, lamp work glass beads, and crystals. In ancient times the necklaces were also used as amulets, protecting the wearer from evil spirits and bad people.
Olena Muzyka
The Dance of the Dragonflies, Paint, special coating, 24k gold on ceramic tiles with mirror, 15.5 x 15.5 in
Artist Statement
I am a Ukrainian artist from Lvov displaced by the Russian invasion. My work celebrates the traditional and modern techniques embraced by Ukrainian art and the joy of the natural world – the joy no one can take from us, and will continue to endure and flourish.
Lynn Nguyen
What?, Laminate wood, blue lapis lazuli crystals, wood joinery, 16 x 12.5 x 1.5 in
Artist Statement
A sculpture containing a direct message about the ongoing war:
·––· · ·– –·–· · (Peace)
··· – ––– ·––· ·–– ·– ·–· (Stop war)
·––· · ·– –·–· · (Peace)
Blue Lapis Lazuli crystal’s benefits contain a powerful passionate blue stone used to open minds and give enlightenment. It is used to encourage self-awareness, self-confidence, self-knowledge, tranquility and harmony, peace and compassion, and morality.
Susan Northington
In Hope, Acrylic and graphite on wood board, 10 x 10 in
Artist Statement
The blue sky reaching for clearer and more promising days. This abstract landscape with its horizon, is seeking for a balance and calm. The colors do represent Ukraine but clearly represents a longing for a calm and peace…In hope.
Mary Deacon Opasik
February, 2022, Collage on paper, 12 x 10 in
Artist Statement
The torn paper collage references the beginning of the invasion of Eastern Ukraine by Russian forces. The citizens believed the lie that Putin told them about the “military exercises“and many remained home living a normal life.
A pale whitish female form with her head down in a rocking chair is in contrast to a large looming dark male figure, symbolic of Putin, with images of 2 armed soldiers within the figure. The interior of the space is a deep somber blue, in some places torn, implying a deeply sad feeling. A whitish angular form above could symbolize upheaval or a hopeful force to save them.
The format of the collage is a manila folder which implies an urgency in the artwork and in the horrific unfolding of the war.
Nami Oshiro
I Buried You Where We Said Goodbye, Ink on paper, 12 x 9 in
Artist Statement
The lives lost in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will always be remembered. And when we remember those lives, we can never forget the violence and the brutality that took them from the ones who loved them.
Caroline Polich
Memory, Watercolor on paper, 8 x 6 in
Artist Statement
My work uses landscape as a vessel for human emotions such as anguish, loss, and mourning. “Memory” pays homage to the people who have perished and the places that have been destroyed in the invasion of Ukraine. Loose, abstracted marks convey the smoke, rubble, and devastation of war, as if the landscape is disintegrating, becoming placeless. The hazy sky and ghostly forms also suggest the fuzziness of a distant memory, of a place that has been irrevocably changed. The blue sky beyond the smoke and rubble represents hope on the horizon.
Rebeka Ryvola de Kremer
Of Wheat and Lore, Acrylic, wood, sandpaper, 12 x 9 in
Artist Statement
Rebeka Ryvola de Kremer works primarily on found or salvaged objects and to communicate about humanitarian issues, collective action, and our relationships and connection to each other and the environment. This particular piece, “of wheat and lore”, is inspired by Ukrainian women who have fought and continue to fight to preserve their communities, cultures, and stories, while also battling to resume the critical role of Ukraine in supplying life-saving wheat and other resources to large parts of the world.
Karlísima Rodas-Israel
Mourning, Acrylic on wood board, 10 x 10 in
Artist Statement
This painting was inspired by the war and invasion of Ukraine and the sadness and deep sorrow of the loss of innocent lives and it is a Universal Cry. I was deeply inspired by the Exhibition of “Picasso’ Painting the Blue Period,” at the Phillips Collection until June 12, 2022. I work at the Phillips Collection as a Museum Assistant and looking at those Picasso Paintings for three months made me realize that Picasso’s statement, that “Art emanates from pain and suffering,” is totally true and rings true to me to the core of my being. I saw a photo on a newspaper of someone from Ukraine mourning for her father at a cemetery with flowers and with a deep sorrow from the loss of a loved one, and this picture inspired this artwork. I am including myself in this picture and a the person in the coffin represents the many children who have died due to this terrible invasion. Many people have died. This is a universal suffering, and it also represents all of the mourners who are still mourning their loved ones lost to Covid-19 and all the pain we have experienced throughout our lives. I also have had deep suffering in my life, so I am compassionate and I empathize with the people of Ukraine. All of us have suffered at some point or another and I want to represent the Universal Suffering of all people and particularly the pain created by the Ukraine invasion, which brings me so much pain and suffering! I wish this devastating war to end as soon as possible. My pain and suffering is united with the suffering of the people of Ukraine, and I am in solidarity with all of them. I hope we will come to peace and love one another as brothers and sisters, as we are one human family. Amen, and so, it is.
Gabriel Soto
Untitled, Acrylic and house paint on panel, 16 x 16 in
Artist Statement
This painting is made up of parts copied from war propaganda posters. The painting is disjointed and it’s meant to show a fragmented narrative that is confusing, open ended, and unclear, much like the confluence of the several narratives about the Ukraine conflict.
Jack Taylor
Only a Pawn in Their Game, oil and acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14 in
Artist Statement
Imperialism and its effects are always disastrous to the nations around them. Through the lease of dialectical materialism, we can view how hot and cold wars are shaped by capital. The victims of these wars are not the people who start them. They are the working people and soldiers – in all nations involved who are slaughtered in the capitalists’ wars. They are only pawns in their game.
Mathieu Treumun
Displaced Ukrainians, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 in
Artist Statement
The painting “Displaced Ukrainians” sheds light on the real victims of this invasion. A recent survey by Geneva shows that at least 7 million Ukrainian people have been displaced by the current invasion of Ukraine. Leaving many families with no other option to pack their most beloved belongings into luggages and plastic bags, and commence a long unknown path of finding a new home where they will be safe. In my painting I used the iconic blue and yellow that represents the Ukrainian flag and it’s people. Through the middle of the painting is a dark black rift caused by the unprovoked invasion of their land, leaving the displaced mothers and children in it’s wake.
Christine Lee Tyler
Disruption, digital print collaged onto wood board, 8 x 10 in
Artist Statement
I am submitting my piece “”Disruption””. This work depicts an invasion of dead flora in an interior space while surveillance cameras hover over it. This work aligns with Russia’s attempt of dominance over Ukraine. The positive takeaway is that the walls are still standing regardless of the surrounding dilapidation.
Elizabeth Vorlicek
Ginkgos in the Light From the Setting Sun, Acrylic on paper, 14 x 11 in
Artist Statement
Ginkgos in the Light From the Setting Sun speaks to a time of peace in the Ukraine. In an act of hope, I chose to embroider two ginkgo leaves reaching towards one another. With the escalating conflict, I am fearful of a world war. This work acts as a prayer for the restoration of peace.
Alice Whealin
Untitled, Ink, watercolor on Fabriano paper, mounted on cradled 7/8″D birch panel, 12 x 9 x 1 in
Artist Statement
We look to nature, to our community and within for solace and strength during times of great loss. The space we create for healing and for the creation of resistance is more important than ever.
Lloyd Wolf
White Doves, Color archival inkjet print, 10 x 8 in
Artist Statement
This photograph of white doves was made in 2013 while I was on assignment in Kyiv, Ukraine. Doves have been symbols of peace since ancient times. I have been thinking and concerned about the people of the city during the current unprovoked savage assaults they are suffering. I wish for a return to a time of peace and safety, and for strength of spirit and hope to the Ukrainian people. Слава Україні.
