“Pacifist” works on the topic of Ukraine cause nausea: French artist C215 talked about his Ukrainian murals
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French street artist Christian Gemi, known under the pseudonym C215, who created a number of murals in Ukraine and depicted Ukrainian military officer Oleksandr Matsievsky shot by the Russians in one of his works, spoke about the purpose and meaning of these works. Read UP.Kultura in Telegram Gemi said that before completing the work on the mural with the image of Matsievsky, he met with his widow and mother, writes CNN. “Like everything I do for Ukraine, I did it for free and with enthusiasm. I am proud of this mural. In front of the face of a real giant who proudly refused to betray Ukraine and said “Glory to Ukraine”, … you can feel small.” – admitted the artist. A mural depicting Matsievsky. Photo: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “I am just an artist, a kind of drawing tool, and my purpose is to support Ukraine with the help of my skills,” Gemi added. In the past, he collaborated with another famous street artist – the British Banksy, who also created a series of works in Ukraine. However, Gemi emphasized that the styles of their works differ: “Being French, I feel tragedy, not irony.” After the start of the full-scale invasion, Gemi often visits Ukraine, but he also depicts the Ukrainian struggle on the streets of his city, Paris. His first work about Ukraine was a blue-yellow mural depicting a girl with a wreath, painted in the French capital. Later, the work was reproduced on the wall of one of the buildings in Lviv. Photo: @christianguemy / Instagram Having completed this work, in March 2022 Gemi left for Kyiv. One of his first works in the Ukrainian capital was an image on the terrace of the French embassy, inspired by Eugène Delacroix’s 1830 painting “Freedom Leading the People.” The artist also dedicated two murals to Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsyubail, who died in Bakhmut – they are located in Irpen and Borodyanka. Gemi says he chose them to draw the attention of the international community to the large-scale destruction caused by the Russian occupiers. Photo: @christianguemy / Instagram “Supporting Ukraine is also an understanding of the enormous destruction caused by the bombings, hundreds of thousands (of people) who were left homeless, displaced, resettled, whose homes were destroyed,” Gemi said. However, he emphasizes that his works should not be perceived as art that calls for peace: “Frankly “pacifist” works on the topic of Ukraine make me sick. Ukraine does not want “peace”, Ukraine wants victory and justice.” Photo: @christianguemy / Instagram Read also: A street artist depicted a bitter farewell of a border guard to his beloved: how the fate of the couple turned out
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