Ukraine Shot

Following the news about Ukraine, I was thinking for some time I wanted to do some interpretative painting about it.

It is my Ukraine Shot. 

A story of two twins that crossed my life and represented each a different color of Ukraine (that, by the way, means border) and its nowadays duality.

I am specifically talking about the Ukrainian artists and models, Anna and Sonia Kuprienko (The Bloom Twins) whom I had seen live last year, and have drawn them too. Since then, I have been following their work with attention.

Last February, The Bloom Twins shared on their official Facebook page, a Cover they've done from Bob Marley/Peter Tosh's song "Get Up Stand Up". The lyrics are moving and so their interpretation. To remember:

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight! 

Preacher man, don't tell me, 

Heaven is under the earth. 

I know you don't know 

What life is really worth. 

It's not all that glitters is gold; 

'Alf the story has never been told: 

So now you see the light, eh! 

Stand up for your rights. come on! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight! 

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight! 

Most people think, 

Great god will come from the skies, 

Take away everything 

And make everybody feel high. 

But if you know what life is worth, 

You will look for yours on earth: 

And now you see the light, 

You stand up for your rights. jah! 

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo! ) 

Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! ) 

Don't give up the fight! (life is your right! ) 

Get up, stand up! (so we can't give up the fight! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord! ) 

Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on! ) 

Don't give up the fight! (yeah! ) 

We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game - 

Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, lord. 

We know when we understand: 

Almighty god is a living man. 

You can fool some people sometimes, 

But you can't fool all the people all the time. 

So now we see the light (what you gonna do?), 

We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! ) 

So you better: 

Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights! ) 

Get up, stand up! 

Don't give up the fight! (don't give it up, don't give it up! ) 

Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! ) 

Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up! ) 

Get up, stand up! (... ) 

Don't give up the fight! (get up, stand up! ) 

Get up, stand up! (... ) 

Stand up for your rights! 

Get up, stand up! 

Don't give up the fight!

Their choice of doing this cover after all the public happenings stirred emotions in me. 

Not just following the news that arrived here, I started searching a bit more about both sides of the conflict and about the country too. I read and saw some pictures about it too to get inspired and then decided this interpretative visual work of mine should go back to basics: the visual imaginary roots and symbol of the country - its flag.

Ukraine is a big wheat producer; the yellow in the flag revolves to that, and the blue to the sky. One could even relate the symbolic communist meaning of wheat - food, provision and work - the basis. Above that, is a magnanimous blue sky. How poetic is that?

I wonder how millions of Ukrainians around the world must feel about their relatives and friends there and how the ones rebelling in the country must be. No matter the will and the interests between Ukraine and Russia and the international community, it strikes me down people were violently killed and wounded because one day they wanted to be free to express themselves. 

This article and drawing are dedicated to all of those whose integrity was corrupted. 

Who knows if one day they can become "translators", builders of communication, of a bridge to come between East and West. 

I wish the poetic I found in the flag - once shot by this sad situation - can be reestablished. May the Phoenix myth take place and let the ashes become beauty. 

Thank you Anna and Sonia, who inspired me and helped me having material about your country.