Untitled. Srawberry Andreevna 2017

Here we see a drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze, rendered with simple lines in what appears to be ink on paper. The primary symbols involve abstracted figures of people, buses, and border posts, repeated across the two pages. These rudimentary forms of people remind us of ancient processional friezes, where anonymous figures convey movement and collective experience. Notice the guard figure, arms outstretched. He evokes the “orant” pose—a gesture of supplication or welcome seen in early Christian art. Here, however, it is twisted into a demand: “Your passport!” This motif of control is juxtaposed with the recurring image of the bus—a modern-day symbol of transit and escape. Historically, crossing borders has always been a charged moment, fraught with anxiety and hope. The repetition of these symbols across the page suggests a cyclical, perhaps endless, journey. We are left to ponder the emotional weight of these crossings, repeated endlessly in both conscious memory and the subconscious drives shaping our world.