Untitled. Srawberry Andreevna 2015

Editor: This is "Untitled. Strawberry Andreevna," a 2015 drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze, rendered in ink on paper. It’s text and figures...sort of child-like in its execution, and very immediate. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This piece, like much of Kakhidze's work, operates as a form of visual diary, inviting us to consider the socio-political landscape through a personal lens. The childlike style and the handwritten text are particularly poignant. Editor: Poignant how? Curator: In its seeming simplicity, it subtly challenges notions of artistic authorship and questions who gets to speak, whose voice is deemed valuable, particularly in relation to societal structures and power dynamics. Don’t you think the deliberate naivete disrupts expectations of what constitutes 'serious' art? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s not polished or trying to be traditionally beautiful, which is kind of its strength. So you’re saying the deliberate rawness pushes against established norms? Curator: Exactly! And the autobiographical elements –Strawberry Andreevna herself – invite us to consider identity within these larger social and political frameworks. The work becomes a quiet act of resistance by amplifying the everyday experience. Does that give you a new perspective? Editor: Absolutely! It's made me think about how art can be a personal yet political statement. It’s like the artist is saying, ‘my experiences, my voice matter’ even if expressed in this intimate, seemingly simple way. Curator: Precisely. It encourages us to see art as embedded within, rather than separate from, lived experience and social justice concerns. Editor: I'll definitely remember to consider that personal-political dynamic when looking at other artworks. Thank you.