Kyiv Diary 2014

Vlada Ralko made this drawing, one of her ‘Kyiv Diary’ series, using ink and watercolor on paper. The immediacy of the artist's hand is evident in the gestural marks and the fluidity of the watercolor washes. I can imagine Ralko hunched over the paper, urgently trying to capture a feeling, an image, from the news? The blood-like watercolor drips from the body-like form within the cube, and then stains the surface. I feel for her having to digest this. The black ink creates a stark contrast, framing the central image like a dark window, and there’s a rawness to the imagery that is both unsettling and compelling. The artist invites us into a space of contemplation and questioning. The conversation between painting and other media can be so invigorating for our practices.