Untitled 2022

This untitled drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze is made with simple lines and colours, probably with a pen, right onto the sketchbook page. The rawness of the process is super evident here. The marks are wiry and thin, and the compositions feels immediate. I’m drawn to the figure holding the Ukrainian flag. The blue and yellow are a splash of bright hope. It feels childlike, but not childish. There is a feeling of a march or a protest, but there are no clenched fists or raised voices. The "Director of museum in Russia" is separated from the others in the image, perhaps suggesting a power dynamic or opposing viewpoint? The writing in the drawing adds another layer, it makes me think of someone jotting down thoughts in real time. The whole thing feels incredibly honest, a snapshot of a moment, a feeling, a thought. It reminds me of Phillip Guston’s late work – that same unpretentious quality, saying something really profound in a simple way. Art is a conversation, after all. It's all about talking to each other across time, in our own languages, and trusting that something will be understood.