The Artistic Narrative in Times of War: NENKA project of Ukrainian Visual Artists

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Natalia Gurieva1 & Victor Manuel Reyes Espino2
1Department of Art and Enterprise, University of Guanajuato, Mexico. ORCID: 0000-0002-1366-1292. Email: n.gurieva@ugto.mx
2Department of Art and Enterprise, University of Guanajuato, Mexico. ORCID: 0000-0001-9309-6387. Email: vm.reyes@ugto.mx

Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 4, December, 2022. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n4.08 
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Abstract

Art is deeply linked and contributes to the fundamental axes of culture, that is, norms and standards of behavior, national traditions, principles of life and value systems. During periods of social crisis, art is one of the most vulnerable components, but at the same time a powerful catalyst for creative processes, as well as an expressive vehicle for a critical view of the current situation. Particularly in times of war, artistic expression is presented with a powerful life-giving potential and allows to accurately express the enormous emotional tension of people, whose lives have been disrupted by death, pain, and destruction. This is the case of Ukrainian artists who, through visual exploration, build a complex narrative that seeks to interpret and express the pain and hope of what happened in their native country and which, since 2014, has been experiencing the ravages of war.

Keywords: Ukraine, Artist community, Contemporary image, Art to highlight Ukraine War.