Oleksiy Sai

Oleksiy Sai (born 1975, Kyiv) is a Ukrainian contemporary artist known for multimedia works addressing war, memory and propaganda. His practice spans painting, graphic design, sculpture and installation. Sai has exhibited internationally and his work is held in major public collections.[1][2][3][4]

Early life and education

Oleksiy Sai was born in Kyiv in 1975. He studied at the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture of Ukraine in Kyiv, graduating with a degree in painting.[1][2]

Career

Sai’s early work included map-based paintings reflecting geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe. In 2007 he presented his Excel-Art satellite map series at Tsekh Gallery, Kyiv, marking his first solo show outside academic circles.[1][2]

Since 2014, following the annexation of Crimea and war in Donbas, Sai shifted to documenting conflict and propaganda. His Bombed series uses mixed media and archival imagery to chronicle Russian war crimes in Ukraine. He later produced a suite of anti-war posters described by Sai as “akin to propaganda” in their direct messaging.[1][2]

In 2022 Sai’s wartime paintings and graphic works were featured in Art in the Land of War, a group exhibition at the Charlie James Gallery, New York City, gaining broader international attention during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.[2] NPR reviewed his participation in a Miami satellite show, noting how the conflict imbued new meaning into his urban landscapes and installations.[1][4]

Style and themes

Critics highlight Sai’s combination of cartographic precision and expressive mark-making, merging documentary impulses with conceptual critique. His poster works employ bold typography and stark imagery to capture urgency, while his paintings juxtapose classical composition with layered symbols of destruction and resilience.[5] Sai describes his practice as a means to bear witness to contemporary violence and to subvert traditional forms of state propaganda into tools of solidarity.[4][6]

Selected exhibitions

Solo
  • 2007: Excel-Art series, Tsekh Gallery, Kyiv[7]
  • 2018: Voloshyn Gallery, Kyiv[3]
  • 2023: Ukrainian Phoenix sculpture, Burning Man, Nevada[8]
  • 2024: I'm Fine sculpture, Burning Man, Nevada[6]
Group
  • 2022: Art in the Land of War, James Gallery, New York[2]
  • 2022: Ukrainian Pavilion collateral, Venice Biennale
  • 2023: “Bombed” series, ARTEFACT Festival, London

Collections

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Haddad, Gina (5 March 2022). "With the war, a Ukrainian art show gains new meaning". NPR. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "The Art of the Ukraine War". CUNY Graduate Center. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Oleksiy Sai". Voloshyn Gallery. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Andersen, Kateryna (9 May 2022). ""My Work is Akin to Propaganda": Oleksii Sai's War Posters". Bird in Flight. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Oleksiy Sai on the Bombed series, documentation of Russian war crimes, and horizontal 'propaganda'". Artslooker. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Oleksiy Sai unveils Powerful Sculpture 'I'm Fine' at Burning Man". ArtPlugged. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  7. ^ "In Place—Portrait series by Ukrainian artist Oleksyi Sai". Dimensions Variable. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  8. ^ Shevchenko, Olena (26 August 2024). "Ukraine had an installation at Burning Man 2023. Why it matters". The Village. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
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