Untitled. Srawberry Andreevna 2019

Curator: Alevtyna Kakhidze’s “Untitled. Strawberry Andreevna” created in 2019, offers us a peek into her personal sketchbook, combining ink drawing and collage on paper. What jumps out at you initially? Editor: Well, the stark black collage element immediately grabs my attention. It’s this imposing, almost aggressive shape cutting across a much gentler scene drawn in ink. The overall effect creates a sense of unease. Is that intentional? Curator: Absolutely! Kakhidze often uses a playful, almost naive style to tackle quite serious subjects. She invites us into what feels like a very personal world. To me, it feels like a raw outpouring of thoughts on paper, like overhearing someone's stream of consciousness. Editor: The snippets of text interspersed throughout, are they in Ukrainian? It reminds me a little of art that reflects experiences related to conflict and displacement, perhaps reflecting a kind of commentary on the state's effect on individuals. The mention of pensions… Curator: Yes, the text definitely gives us clues. From what I understand, some of it touches on the artist's own experiences navigating bureaucracy. It is simultaneously funny, sad, and angry, which I find to be very moving. It makes me reflect on the precarity of everyday existence. Editor: I find that interesting, because even without understanding the specifics of the text, the visual language itself communicates that feeling quite powerfully. The clashing aesthetics – that brutal black shape versus the delicate lines, hints at a system or experience that’s inherently disruptive and oppressive. It evokes political struggles. Curator: Exactly! The combination is powerful, almost like a visual scream, echoing the struggles. Editor: It’s the way the drawing blends this sense of intimacy with a more public discourse that I appreciate the most. Thanks to Kakhidze’s piece I have been provoked to consider individual experiences within a wider system of injustice. Curator: Yes, Alevtyna offers a lens through which we might view the world, its difficulties, and all of its hopes through a sensitive and yet critical point of view.