Lesia Khomenko: Art and war

Available for over a year

Artist Lesia Khomenko left Kyiv with her daughter the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, leaving her husband and all of her artwork behind. She now lives in New York, documenting how the conflict has transformed Ukrainian society through her painting. Her first work after the invasion was a portrait of her husband, wearing jeans and a puffa jacket whilst holding a gun and saluting awkwardly. That piece, titled Max is in the Army, is part of a series of lawyers, engineers and musicians all finding themselves abruptly turned into soldiers. As the fighting continued she has used pixelation to blur the soldiers’ faces – a reference to online misinformation about the conflict. Lucy Ash has been to Kyiv to witness the creation of Khomenko’s largest works to date, including one which mirrors Kyiv railway station’s staircase, where it will be hung, crowded with figures, symbolising the nation defending its land, culture and democracy.