Elena Alyabyeva

b. Kharkiv, Ukraine, 1985

y. active 2017 - present

Current

pen, marker on paper, 5.5 x 8.3 in

Created on April 6, 2022

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See all of the works in the exhibit HERE

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At the time of drawing, the artist was in the city of Uzhhorod, far western Ukraine. She fled Kharkiv with her whole family to escape the war and now lives in a school gym adapted to accept refugees. She creates her works there or while walking around the city.

$4,000 - sold as the collection of 8

All proceeds go to help artists in Ukraine and to foster US-Ukraine cultural ties and cooperation. Please use Contact Form or see restaurant staff if you are interested in purchasing.

The focus of the painting is the river Uzh that is flowing through the city of Uzhhorod. After a downpour in the mountains above, the river rises dramatically and overflows onto the banks. The current becomes very fast and turbulent. The artist was captivated and mentally swept away by this current that has been flowing through here for thousands of years. The river saw Empires rise and fall, generations crossed it, were born, lived, and died on its banks. It was all washed away by the water. Above is the Uzhhorod Pedestrian Bridge. It is being pushed, almost attacked, by the water to a point where the streetlights are rocking back and forth. The bridge is only temporary on this Earth and eventually it too will be swept away by the mighty river. Hopefully, the strong current will take all of the problems with it, the river will come down, and we will see peaceful skies in the reflection of the surface of the water. The river is life.