Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, many Russian artists have been using their craft to show their resistance to the war and the Kremlin’s ever-widening crackdown on Russian society.
With his latest collection of paintings, “Acting Out,” award-winning artist Pavel Otdelnov sought to produce a “reflection on the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe caused by the Russian war in Ukraine” and “an attempt to find signs hidden throughout history, leading to the war we have today.”
The paintings in “Acting Out” address themes ranging from the Soviet Union and the disillusionment sparked by its collapse to the current generation of Russians who have protested and demanded change despite the risk of arrest.
“Acting Out” was first exhibited at Pushkin House in London last fall. The Moscow Times is republishing the series with the artist’s permission:
