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Invasion: Art for Ukraine

Invasion: Music and Art for Ukraine

Watching in horror as my home city of Kharkiv was being destroyed, I resolved to express through music my feelings of despair and anger, as well as hope and resilience. On my birthday in February 2022, the war started, Lewis Spratlan began writing INVASION, and the character of our plan for an album of his works shifted. Positivity, defiance, perseverance, peace, nostalgia, recollections, and hope—all are displayed by the people in Ukraine, and all are reflected in the pieces on this album. Even as all of us are comforted by timeless beauty, we are periodically reminded of the tragedy of the present. I commissioned Ukrainian artists to create paintings/artworks to use in [the album] booklet and in the accompanying music videos, as their responses to the music. Also featured are artworks made by children in Kharkiv, as their responses to the war. 100% of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Ukrainian people affected by the war through the Razom organization. If you would like to donate above the cost of the recording, you may do so here.

—Nadia Shpachenko, Pianist

Click images to enlarge and click the info icon to see the titles, artists, and descriptions:

Lesia Babliak, from Yellow‐Blue Album of war art. March, 2022
Lyova Naumov, 10 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
The last time - Lesia Babliak
Wind - Vanya, 12 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
The observer - Max Zubenko, 10 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
INVASION "Like in a movie" - Lesia Babliak
My dog Sheva and his friend - Lesia Babliak
Lesia Babliak Only a cup left
Man with dogs - Lesia Babliak
Burning books - Lesia Babliak
Saying goodbye - Lesia Babliak
Couple sitting on the bench - Lesia Babliak
Fish - Ira Tron
PIANO SUITE NO. 1, Capriccio - Kati Prusenko
PIANO SUITE NO. 1 - Yurii Nagulko
PIANO SUITE NO. 1 (tbd) - Yurii Nagulko
Spiral - Yurii Nagulko
Flight - Yurii Nagulko
Flight too - Yurii Nagulko
SIX RAGS "Ragtime" - Yurii Nagulko
War painting - Yurii Nagulko
Dawn - Yurii Nagulko
Melancholy night - Yurii Nagulko
SIX RAGS - Kati Prusenko
Gentle - Kati Prusenko
Two Sonatas - Yurii Nagulko
Face - Sasha, 11 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Flights in dreams and reality - Olena Papka
Nadiya - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Bomb shelter - Vasilisa Druzhinina, 10 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Doctor - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Warrior - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Mother with children - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Angel - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Volunteer - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Vase house - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Face - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Tree - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Brave bird - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
House - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Artist girl - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Butterfly - Maria Marachovskaya, 12 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Burning buildings - Maria, 11 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Portal - Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Grow - Dasha Kolomiyets, 11 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Girl with dove - Martha Salnik, 11 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Glass - Denis, 10 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
I go - Anya Zub, 13 years old, Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets

Before the war, AZA NIZI MAZA, a creative space founded in 2012 by Mykola Kolomiyets, combined work in several areas, such as:

  • art studio in painting, graphics and sculpture for children and adults;
  • inclusive space – a group of artists with Down syndrome worked in the studio;
  • lectures – lectures on art were held;
  • book project – the studio conducted projects to create books on contemporary art;
  • exhibition activity – the studio organized more than 60 exhibitions at the best exhibition grounds of Ukraine.

Before the war, AZA NIZI MAZA, a creative space founded in 2012 by Mykola Kolomiyets, combined work in several areas, such as:

The main direction was studio activity. Teachers have developed an approach aimed at realizing the potential of individual aspects of each student. The classes not only taught techniques, but also introduced students to the modern context of art, told the history of art in practice, showing how artists of different eras solved similar problems. The learning process was aimed at developing imagination and trying to lead students to their own path and style. The studio used a variety of painting techniques, graphics and sculptures.

The title “AZA NIZI MAZA” refers to Federico Fellini’s cult film “8”. Film director Guido Anselmi (played by Marcello Mastroianni), who is in a deep creative crisis, recalls his childhood – a little boy sincerely believes that he will know where to find the treasure as soon as he says the spell: “AZA NIZI MAZA”.

There were about a hundred students in the studio. On the eve of the war we had a big book project – A Guide to the History of Contemporary Art “Closer Than It Seems”, in which we talked about contemporary art in terms of its game component. Each artist had his own game and rules. There was a pop project with Lesya Ukrainka, where we tried to introduce Lesya Ukrainka as an icon of contemporary Ukrainian art style. We were preparing for the exhibition on the 300th anniversary of Hryhoriy Skovoroda. Exhibition-journey, exhibition-map. And we were doing a book project for the centenary of the Berezil Theater.

From the first day of the war, the AZA NIZI MAZA studio became a bomb shelter and a transfer point through which many people had already passed. Creative projects are also ongoing. The current is a poster diary “WHAT I SEE”, in which the works of children who are students of the studio are considered in the context of wartime. This project has received a lot of interest in Ukraine and abroad. We haven’t been in the studio since the beginning of the war. But from March 29 to early May, we held them almost every day at the Kharkiv metro station “Historical Museum”. In the process of getting acquainted and joint creative communication with the children living there, they invented a project about new superheroes of today. These are four monumental figures, 3.5 meters high – Warrior, Mother with Children, Doctor and Volunteer. Then we added 8 more artworks of the same size. They reflect children’s impressions of military events. In June, we resumed classes in the studio for a small group of children. We also launched online classes three times a week, as well as online lectures for children and adults.

Click images to enlarge

Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets
Aza Nizi Maza, art direction by Mykola Kolomiyets

Click images to enlarge

Lesia Babliak © Christopher Briscoe favorite
Lesia Babliak © Christopher Briscoe favorite
Kati Prusenko © Kati Prusenko
Kati Prusenko © Kati Prusenko
Olena Papka © Khrystyna Shevtsiv
Olena Papka © Khrystyna Shevtsiv
Yuriy Nagulko Self Portrait
Yuriy Nagulko Self Portrait

Click images to enlarge

Lewis Spratlan © Tom Zasadzinski
Lewis Spratlan © Tom Zasadzinski
Nadia Shpachenko © Victoria Innocenzi
Nadia Shpachenko © Victoria Innocenzi
Aija Mattson Jovel © Alice Johnston
Aija Mattson Jovel © Alice Johnston
Anthony Parnther © Konstantin Golovchinsky
Anthony Parnther © Konstantin Golovchinsky
Phil Keen © Joseph Meyer
Phil Keen © Joseph Meyer
Yuri Inoo © Sean Longstreet
Yuri Inoo © Sean Longstreet
Joti Rockwell © Jeff Hing
Joti Rockwell © Jeff Hing
Pat Posey © Gabriel Tanguay Ortega
Pat Posey © Gabriel Tanguay Ortega
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