Ukrainian Conceptual Artist Alevtina Kakhidze Refuses to Flee War

Ukrainian conceptual artist Alevtina Kakhidze, born near Donetsk in 1973, remains in her countryside home 30 kilometers from Kyiv despite ongoing Russian military encirclement and constant shelling. She has received numerous offers from foreign academies and foundations to leave but refuses, stating, “If I leave, who will stay?” Kakhidze, who participated in the 2014 Maidan protests, contributes to Ukrainian resistance daily by creating drawings that capture her surroundings with ingenious, melancholic irony. Her work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the Moscow Biennale and Manifesta.