The Art of War: Poland’s cultural response

The Art of War

The artistic and cultural response to the war has been staggering in its creativity, with many artists producing works to either raise money or awareness for the Ukrainian cause…

Russian Bear

by Paweł Jońca

Stepping on Lego hurts, as this marauding Russian bear is about to find to its cost. Issued as a downloadable poster available for whatever price you deem fitting, as of press time over zł. 170,000 had been raised through its sale for pro-Ukrainian causes. Covered by a non-commercial license, those purchasing it can, for instance, print it for home, set it as their profile pic, use it on t-shirts or have it as their phone’s wallpaper. To download your own bear, click over to: siepomaga.pl/russian-bear

Kijów-Warszawa

by Tytus Brzozowski

Regarded as one of Poland’s best-loved contemporary painters, Tytus Brzozowski has carved a global reputation for his surrealist watercolors of quirky city scenes. Painted for an online charity auction held in March, features of Kijów-Warszawa include Kyiv’s modernist Salute Hotel, the Pechersk Lavra Cathedral and the Majdan Nezaleznosti column. Warsaw, meanwhile, is represented by Zygmunt’s Column and the Royal Castle with the two capitals linked together by Poniatowski Bridge. As per usual though, it’s the finer details that provide the greatest joy – on the bridge find a group of protestors holding up a banner quoting the response the defenders of Snake Island gave to the Russian warship that called for their surrender. Raising money to supply humanitarian aid, the painting fetched a final price of zł. 41,400.

Neighbors

by Jakub Rozalski

Famed around the world for his fantastical and often apocalyptic paintings, few artists have captured the horror of the war in the Ukraine better than Jakub Rozalski. Liked by over ten-thousand of his Facebook followers, the artist used the social media platform to explain the thinking behind the painting titled Neighbors.

“As you may know, my wife is from Tatarstan and has a Russian passport; we have a family in Russia. Friends from Ukraine... It is hard to believe what is happening… When eight-years ago I started working and creating my world of 1920+ (a series of paintings inspired by the Polish-Bolshevik War), I wanted to share my passion for history,

No More War

by Mateusz Król

Warsaw-based digital artist Mateusz Król thrilled Insta in March with this stunning work. Dripping with symbolism, it shows a ‘No Tank’ sign set to a rich background that references the colors of the Ukrainian flag. my love for the countryside, and my fear of war. I thought that maybe I could build interest and awareness about this difficult period in Poland’s history so that people would not repeat the same mistakes over and over again.”

“In my darkest dreams, I did not expect that in 2022, my vision would become so real. A few hundred kilometers from our borders the world looks more like 1939 than 2022. We have to support Ukraine and their heroic fight, because they are fighting not only for their own freedom, but for the freedom of the whole of Europe! My heart lies with the Ukrainian people, and the Russian people who did not want this war.”

Raven

by Jan Herba

Known for his non-standard and intriguing sculptures, Jan Herba’s Raven was created with Ukrainian colors streaking through the hand-cut black steel. Auctioned on Facebook, the 1.5 kilo bird was purchased for a bargain zł. 400.

The Ghost of Kyiv

by Paweł Swanski

An artist, designer, illustrator and craftsman, Swanski’s art has appeared on canvas, Warsaw’s walls (and scores of other international cities) and even helmets and bikes. Lauded for his highly graphic style, the Warsaw-based artist created The Ghost of Kyiv for a private auction. Taking bids upwards of EUR 1,500, all money raised will go to support those fighting in Ukraine. The title of the work, incidentally, refers to the Ukrainian flying ace credited with shooting down ten Russian jets in the early days of the invasion.

Warszawska Syrenka - Ми з вами

by Henryk Kwiatek

Created in parallel with Kwiaciarnia Grafiki’s exhibition at Wrocław’s BWA Studio, the Syrenka was created by Henryk Kwiatek in response to Russia’s outrageous invasion. “I was immensely confused, surprised and pissed off by what that madman Putin is doing,” says the artist. “By producing this graphic I wanted to support all the Ukrainian people as they strive to defend their freedom.” The work was inspired by Blue Scotch, a piece painted by Edward Krasiński who was born in the city of Łuck (currently part of Ukraine). “We updated his work,” says Kwiatek, “so it’s not just a tribute to Ukraine but also to art.” Available for download on Kwiaciarnia Grafiki’s website, it’s proved just one of a string of initiatives undertaken by the studio. For more, check: graphicsflowershop.com