Ukraine at War: Street Art, Posters + Poetry

British filmmaker Sarhandi-Williams (Bosnian War Posters) spotlights the perseverance of art during war in this insightful collection of poetry and street art created by Ukrainians since the 2022 Russian invasion. Contending that “the Arts allow us to see beyond the shifting daily headlines... to core human values and deeper spiritual concerns,” Sarhandi-Williams gathers poems from a website hosted by the State Arts Agency of Ukraine, “where Ukrainian citizens can freely upload their work.” The tone of the poems varies; Anna Schmidt’s merciless “Wild Orcs” likens Russian soldiers to the savage goblins from The Lord of the Rings (a “mindless horde... no longer human”), while in Nataliia Samruk’s rueful “The Keys to Happiness,” a woman “still trembling from having survived” recalls that she’s holding “the keys to past happiness,” including one “from the station waiting room/ Where no more trains will arrive for ages.” The volume’s visual art embodies Ukrainian resilience, whether in photos of a young woman posing in front of a tank as if she were a fashion model, or folk artist Varvara Logvyn’s vibrant images of plants and flowers painted on steel antitank obstacles. This thoughtful assemblage brings into focus the myriad responses Ukrainians have had to the invasion. It’s an enlightening and worthwhile volume. (Dec.)