Untitled 2022

Editor: So, here we have an untitled drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze from 2022. It seems to be made with pen and maybe marker on paper. It's like a page ripped right out of a sketchbook! The figure almost seems hesitant, kneeling with their drawing… What's your read on this piece? Curator: It speaks of inner conflict, doesn’t it? I see a rawness, the directness of the sketchbook format amplifying the vulnerability. The handwritten text surrounding the figure – is it a lament? "Ashamed to paint for Russians..." Or am I projecting my own feelings about the current situation? Editor: I think I see that too – the lettering definitely seems part of the whole picture, almost like the figure's thoughts swirling around them. It looks very personal, but also universal in its message. Curator: Personal, yes, like a whispered confession caught on paper. The simple lines amplify that feeling of intimacy. I find myself wondering, who *are* we creating for? And what are the ethics of art in a time of crisis? The use of a child-like drawing style – is it deliberate, perhaps reflecting a lost innocence, or a desire for something simpler? Editor: That’s an interesting point! It didn’t strike me as child-like at first, but now that you mention it, there is a certain…unfussiness to the execution. Maybe that speaks to the artist's urgency of expression. Curator: Perhaps, and urgency fueled by a profound sense of unease. A tension between the need to create, and the moral complexities of doing so within a fractured world. What a potent, miniature universe captured in a single page. Editor: I agree; I walked away with more questions about art making today than when I began. Thanks for that!