“Sometimes I dream of creating the space of a dream…I quite rarely have dreams, but I often see reality as a dream,” says Ukrainian painter Polina Kuznetsova. Born in Kharkiv where she studied at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, Kuznetsova fled to Tallinn, Estonia, at the onset of the war.

Kuznetsova often focuses on the landscape of dreams in her work, contrasting deep backgrounds with elaborately textured portrait subjects. There is an emphasis present on silhouettes, the folds of fabric, and ambiguous geometric forms - Kuznetsova’s is a unique and cohesive artistic language that creates a sense of ease and intrigue. 

Kuznetsova’s style is perhaps most clear in My Hero (Zelenskyy) Dreams (2020), an almost mystical portrait of Ukraine’s leader. Against the darkest of backdrops, Zelenskyy stands calmly and serenely as a beacon, and welcomes the viewer with open arms. The breadth of Kuznetsova’s technical ability is clear, from the wide, haphazard brush strokes of the background to the fine details of Zelenskyy’s hair.