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Mikhail Ray
Artist from Ukraine
Mikhail Ray is a multidisciplinary artist and curator from Kherson, Ukraine. He was born on February 22, 1984 in a family of former ship's cooks, graduated the Maritime College and served at sea as a Deck Officer. In search of satisfaction he started to engage in photography. At first it was nothing more than a hobby, until he saw realistic digital photo collages. The ability to synthesize his own images, instead of reflecting through the surrounding reality, quickly captured his full attention. He finally got the right tools to recreate his inner world and transform it, thus his interest in traditional photographic practice was finally lost. He began to discover hidden facets of his own consciousness and this pushed him to find answers in psychology and religions. Shortly before the full scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, he gave up with his maritime career he had been building for over 20 years and intended to live a life, creating art that could awaken people. On February 24, 2022 life began to challenge him. He decided to stay in Kherson, his native city, which was occupied by Russian forces, and fight for freedom with the power of his art. This decision unexpectedly brought him to the answers he was looking for. To proof that Paradise (Ray in Ukrainian) is not a place, but a state of consciousness.
During occupation of Kherson he gave interviews to BBC and number of Ukraininan, US and Taiwanese journalists about his art and situation in the city and took part in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine, Europe, USA and Asia. His artworks are held in private collections in USA, Netherlands & Ukraine.
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Hedgehog
Sculpture by Mikhail Ray
12 x 15 cm • Ink, Glass, Metal, Plastic, Concrete, Acrylic, Resin, Fluid, Original art
"Trigger Globes" series
In collaboration with Nadiya Petrovska
Edition 1/12
Concrete, glass, plastic, acrylic, liquid.
Its full name is "Czech hedgehog". For the first time, they appeared exactly where you thought, dear reader, in Czechoslovakia, and were mass-produced during the Second World War. They gained their most popularity in the Soviet Union. So when the full-scale invasion in Ukraine began, a large number of hedgehogs were simply drawn out from local historical museums. Its use is most effective in cities: one such product can block an entire street.
Emotional triggers do exactly the same. Everyone of us naturally strives for freedom, for exploration, knowledge, creativity and love. But it happens that moving along the roads of life, we notice that some directions are blocked. When the war is over, or even sooner, we will be able to look back, to the past, and reevaluate all the tragic events that happened to us. We will understand that each traumatic experience taught us something important and valuable. Then we will be ready to thank it and let it go - this will be the moment of healing. Moreover, we will be able to do this with all our "hedgehogs" and blocks of concrete, even if they have been lying there for the last 50 years.
About the artist
Mikhail Ray
Artist from Ukraine
Mikhail Ray is a multidisciplinary artist and curator from Kherson, Ukraine. He was born on February 22, 1984 in a family of former ship's cooks, graduated the Maritime College and served at sea as a Deck Officer. In search of satisfaction he started to engage in photography. At first it was nothing more than a hobby, until he saw realistic digital photo collages. The ability to synthesize his own images, instead of reflecting through the surrounding reality, quickly captured his full attention. He finally got the right tools to recreate his inner world and transform it, thus his interest in traditional photographic practice was finally lost. He began to discover hidden facets of his own consciousness and this pushed him to find answers in psychology and religions. Shortly before the full scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, he gave up with his maritime career he had been building for over 20 years and intended to live a life, creating art that could awaken people. On February 24, 2022 life began to challenge him. He decided to stay in Kherson, his native city, which was occupied by Russian forces, and fight for freedom with the power of his art. This decision unexpectedly brought him to the answers he was looking for. To proof that Paradise (Ray in Ukrainian) is not a place, but a state of consciousness.
During occupation of Kherson he gave interviews to BBC and number of Ukraininan, US and Taiwanese journalists about his art and situation in the city and took part in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine, Europe, USA and Asia. His artworks are held in private collections in USA, Netherlands & Ukraine.
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Contribute your perspective to the community & earn rewards. Leave your reflection below.
