Untitled 2022

This black and red ink drawing on paper, by Alevtyna Kakhidze, looks like it emerged from a stream of consciousness! I can picture the artist moving across the page, their hand making these sure lines, the writing becoming image, the image becoming writing. I imagine Kakhidze thinking about cultural identity and borders when she made this, in a playful way. The red arrows, figures, and text all communicate in multiple languages, as if in conversation, or even argument, with each other. But somehow I think the artist is also sympathizing with all sides. Those figures are full of life and movement, and that central character is so witty with their tiny wings and wheeled feet. It reminds me of the work of artists like William Kentridge, who also used drawing and animation to explore political themes with humor and pathos. When artists embrace that ambiguity, it opens up new ways of seeing and feeling the world, and connecting with each other.