At one time, the Polish poster school was for Ukrainian poster artists almost the only window to Europe carved into the high walls of the communist regime. Demonstration of the game of intellect, the ability to succinctly and accurately express personal opinion in a unique creolized text – these principles of Polish poster art organically entered the practice of Ukrainian artists in the 1980s. The common denominator of the Ukrainian and Polish schools of the poster was the combination of expressive, extremely intense energy with a special poetic and lyrical; use of a wide range of associations, metaphors, allusions and subtexts.

Imitation of traditions is also characteristic of the works of the participants of the exhibition «Creative Resistance». And this is no accident. After all, Andriy Budnyk, the curator of the exhibition, is one of those who practiced in Krakow in the 1980s. This is such a game of fate. In the posters of Andriy’s students, Poland appears as a compassionate country, a true relative, a refuge that provides shelter and perceives our pain as its own. There are bloody tears of raped Ukrainian women in them. They are a combination of touching and naive with grotesque and dramatic. They are references to allusions that often do not require verbal emphasis. About Ukraine – the language of Ukrainian ornament, the language of symbolic yellow and blue colors; in the language of iconic images of Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, Ivan Franko. About the enemy – St. George’s ribbon and the letter «Z», which has already turned from a letter into a shameful sign of the Russian invaders. About the enemy – a quote from an old German engraving with a werewolf monster. War confuses the mind, bringing to the surface ugly-animal.

War determines choice and shows the place of everyone on whose side it is. Therefore, the works of Ukrainian students offered to your attention are not only the desire to master the language of poster art, but, above all, the desire to peace, exposing shameful war crimes, and seeking to contribute to the struggle with their main weapon, the poster.

Olena Donets

We have before us the result of the work of students of graphic design departments of two Kyiv universities during the month of the war. These works were made on laptops in evacuation trains, in bomb shelters with disappearing electricity and the Internet, during curfew, under the pressure of being in the occupied territories, and so on. These works were made under the siren, in a state of emotional stress, depression due to separation from family and friends, far from home, but always with faith in the undeniable future victory of Ukraine. We cannot fail to win, because behind us is our 1000-year history, our pillars of the nation, our land, justice and God! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes! Glory to the nation! Death to enemies! Ukraine is above all!

Andriy Budnyk