Piece 1, Polyptych "Life layers" by Signe Vanadzina (LV) & Julia Smal (UA)

First piece of Polyptych (4 pieces) "Life layers" created during the "Ukraine.Residence of Freedom" event in Riga, Latvia.

Size of each piece 150 x 100 cm

+ Includes Certificate of authenticity with author's signature.

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SIGNE VANADZIŅA, Latvian artist collaborates with JULIA SMAL, Ukrainian artist. They mixed two media in their work, watercolor and oil, which perfectly reflects the context of the idea they were working with - the duality.

February 24th became a pause in life for Ukrainians. This one day seemed to stretch longer than a year for us. Each of us now has two distinct parts of life - the "before" and the "after" of that day. In our artworks, we express the idea that within every individual, there exist two layers: the first - a pre-war period, a life within the boundaries of acquaintances and daily needs, and the second - a unifying layer, a collective tragedy that each person carries within themselves and experiences until the end of the war.

The first layer represents the state before February 24th, the past in which we lived. This period shapes our memories and forms our identity. The second layer represents what has become the recent past, but will never be the same as it was before. It is permeated with a tragedy that forever changed our world.

"Through our artworks, we aim to convey this duality, captivating the viewer with two distinct layers of our existence - the bright and the dark, the resilient and the vulnerable. We seek to prompt a deeper examination of reality, understanding that only those who have lived through events within themselves can truly interpret them. This interaction with our artworks will help reveal the forces that govern our world and how they impact every one of us."