Untitled 2022

This stark image was drawn with felt-tip pen on March 4th, 2022, by the Ukranian artist Alevtyna Kakhidze. The date is significant, as it marks the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kakhidze responds to the crisis by appropriating the visual language of political cartoons. In the image we see Russian tanks, flying the Russian flag. The tanks are juxtaposed with the words “Neo-Nazi Fascists Drug Addicts." This refers to the propaganda used by Russia to justify its invasion of Ukraine. On the right is a drawing of the sarcophagus that contains the remains of the destroyed reactor number four at Chernobyl. This piece offers a window into how larger political and social forces deeply affect the identity and the emotional state of individuals caught in conflict. It reveals the emotional and psychological impact of war, and the personal cost of geopolitical conflict.