Untitled 2022

Editor: This drawing from 2022 by Alevtyna Kakhidze features crowns and a brick drawn with pens, and labeled with playful lettering in Ukrainian and English. It's simple but kind of profound in its juxtaposition of everyday objects and symbols of power. What's your interpretation of this work? Curator: This piece vibrates with a fascinating tension. The seemingly childish, almost naive style immediately pulls you in, but the words juxtaposed with the imagery hint at deeper themes. Considering the artist's Ukrainian background, especially given the date, I can’t help but read it through a lens of political commentary, where crowns and ordinary things exist on a plane together. Editor: Political commentary? Interesting. I mostly thought about how the crowns and the brick could be about identity and labels we put on ourselves. Curator: Precisely. The “Drama Queen” crown versus the plain brick labeled "normal, bare yard" in Ukrainian—it's about these constructed identities, and how society often values certain presentations of self over others, right? The "Imperial Crown" label and imagery introduces another level of potential cultural critique, and questions established norms. Does the playful lettering amplify the message, or does it work as a distraction? Editor: It makes it accessible, inviting even, despite the heavier themes you pointed out. It's like saying something serious with a smile. Curator: Yes! It mirrors this tension between visibility and vulnerability, between outward performance and inner life. In many ways the tension is at the heart of contemporary experience and highlights this balance of power and visibility within one's community and culture. How can the individual reclaim some of their personal agency by engaging with, rather than ignoring, various social expectations? Editor: I didn’t catch all those nuances at first. Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about. Curator: It’s a powerful reminder that art is often a reflection of lived experience, filtered through a critical lens.