Olga Krykun (b. 1994, Odesa, Ukraine) invents a self-contradicting mythology of our time by combining elements of fictional narratives with references to real cultural and socially relevant symbols. Her practice is strongly rooted in intuition, emotion, and personal experience; thus, her mood, cultural heritage, women’s narratives, and the post-internet era greatly influence her work. These elements are approached with an ever-evolving distinct visual style and specific aesthetic, making her works reminiscent of surreal visions or a dreamlike trance, resulting in a highly suggestive viewer experience.

In her recent works, the artist engages with the emotions that arise from observing and experiencing the war in Ukraine, the artist’s motherland, through the lens of smartphones and social media feeds, which have become an archive of wartime atrocities. For many people across the globe, social media is the primary source of information about military operations, organized aid, experiences, and accounts of the victims of Russia’s armed invasion, as well as the culture and history of Ukraine. The brutal images of dead bodies and devastated cities are intertwined with appeals for help and the voices of realpolitik. In recent works including depictions of flowers, Krykun explores the feelings, tensions, internal conflicts, and desires that arise while processing this content. She expresses these feelings through a symbolic use of sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, and a representation of peace and resilience, alongside the titular forget-me-nots, which highlight the importance of remembering the events of this war.

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