Occupation

On 24 February, Usenko’s country, Ukraine, was invaded by Russian troops, without cause. Usenko’s art is now permeated by all the pain, death and destruction that is taking place in her homeland. The ruthless killing of the artist’s friends with small children and the destruction of favourite cities, which are being wiped from the face of the earth.

This project explores the occupation of Ukraine. Where people are now living in basements that smell of faeces, blood and death – among piles of corpses of adults and children who were unable to survive these cruel conditions without vital resources. It is about grief and despair, about the fact that this is the reality and everyday life of our fellow human beings. It is about the genocide of the Ukrainian people in 2022.