Untitled 2022

This drawing was made in 2022 by Alevtyna Kakhidze. It has simple, raw, intentionally awkward black lines on a white background. I imagine Kakhidze just letting her hand do the thinking here. There's this figure with outstretched arms, and the words, "you mix up things," hovering above it. I wonder if the artist is talking to herself, or if it's a message to us viewers. Then, there's a group of people holding up a sign that reads, "Sanction Russian Education Sector." The artist writes: "The academic based in Russia, the academics based in the West." Kakhidze walks a tightrope here. It seems she is balancing a concern for academic freedom with a condemnation of geopolitical power. I feel a kinship with her use of art as a form of embodied expression. Her sketch embraces ambiguity, inviting us to consider multiple interpretations. We are left with the weight and uncertainty of the present moment.