Untitled 2022

Alevtyna Kakhidze created this untitled drawing with marker on paper. The drawing itself is deceptively simple, using the most basic of means to deliver a powerful message. Kakhidze’s cartoonish style belies its sharp political edge; this is not a polished painting that relies on material preciousness. The quick marks of the pen make this feel immediate, like a news bulletin. This sense of immediacy is heightened by the political content of the drawing: the caricature of Russia’s foreign minister, Lavrov, looms large, while supplicants approach him holding Russian and Ukrainian flags. It’s a work about power dynamics, of course, but also about the role of art as a form of instant commentary. In this case, the relative lack of craft – the opposite of virtuosity – is precisely the point. Kakhidze’s drawing is a reminder that art can be made anywhere, anytime, with whatever materials are at hand. It is a testimony to the resilience of creative expression, even in the face of political turmoil.