ANTISTRESS

“ANTISTRESS” was an exhibition of painting and graphic art by Odesa artist Olga Razinkina. It was the artist’s first exhibition in recent years to reveal a different side of her creative work.

More than 30 works were presented at Dialogues, most of them created during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. For the first time, the exhibition brought together not only paintings, but also graphic works.

Olga Razinkina is known for her still lifes and landscapes, rich in the vibrant colours of southern Ukraine. “ANTISTRESS”, however, focused on one of the oldest genres in art — animal art — and was devoted to some of Odesa’s most beloved companions: cats.

What could be more anti-stress than cats?

Perhaps this is why, alongside the countless cats roaming the streets of Odesa, their images have increasingly appeared throughout the city’s public spaces.

The past few years have created an overwhelming need for something that could offer relief from stress. Razinkina’s works emerged as a response to the difficult circumstances of the pandemic, quarantine and war — conditions that made finding inspiration particularly challenging.

The exhibition “ANTISTRESS” began with a series of works in which cats became a way of expressing associations with contemporary life. Gradually, the artist began to portray human emotions through feline portraits, using the familiar and comforting image of the cat to explore feelings and states of mind.

As the artist herself explains:

“When the war began, it became difficult to paint. These works are not about the horror of war, but about a brief moment of respite — without forgetting about it.”

Olga Mykolaivna Razinkina is an artist and educator, and a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Since 1996, she has participated in numerous Ukrainian and international exhibitions, plein-air events and art symposia.