Davyd Chychkan / Давид Чичкан

2022

Drawing, 65,3 x 50,3 cm.
Materials: Watercolour on paper

Collection: Collection M HKA/ Flemish Community (Inv. no. BK009534-002).

Alongside the colourful ribbons that can be seen in other drawings, Chychkan also introduces the motif of triangles in this work. The latter refers to the modernist works of Heorhiy Narbut (1986-1920), the most significant Ukrainian graphic designer of the twentieth century. He is known for designing the coat of arms of Ukraine, and banknotes of the Ukrainian People's Republic, an independent state that existed between 1917-1921. Narbut created a unique graphic identity that combines traditional and folkloric elements with modernist geometric forms. Several of his graphic works are based on images of the so-called Serpinsky's triangle, a fractal whose important property is self-similarity. Painting the parts of the triangle in black, purple, red, and the national colours blue and yellow, Chychkan once again emphasises the fight for social justice that is integral to the Ukrainian fight for independence. The combinations of triangles in Chychkan's work might be considered as a visual representation of left-libertarian ideas — the importance of the correlation between the idea of individual freedom and social equality.
Alongside triangles, the abbreviations “М.Г.С.Р.” and “К.І.З.Т.” can also be seen on the banners. They stand accordingly for “The Network of Social Revolution Groups” and “Coordination of the Initiatives of the Emancipation of Labour”. These are the titles of the confederations operating in Chychkan’s imaginary Ukraine of the future. Unlike the existing trade unions, those are supposed to be an example of direct democracy and decentralisation.