Art has presented itself in the political world throughout history, from Théodore Géricault’s solemn “The Raft of the Medusa” to Andy Warhol’s unnerving “Big Electric Chair.” Art influences the impact, interpretations, and future complications of political events by providing commentary from an unadulterated and outspoken lens. Despite the harsh circumstances spawned from political conflict, art has and will continue to persist amidst adversity.
Daria Akselrod is one of San Mateo High’s many skilled artists. Akselrod incorporates her personal experiences with travel, change and war in her artwork. She has been taking art classes since elementary school, and has amplified her interest and evolved her skill through the art certificate program and art classes offered by San Mateo High.
Akselrod explains that “My artwork mostly focuses on events currently happening in my life or my identity. One day I’d be missing New York, so I would draw the New York skyline. Or I would be learning to make coffee so I would incorporate coffee into some artworks. I also like to take photos when traveling and use them as references or inspiration for a lot of pieces.” With the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, Akselrod further elaborates that “Ukraine is also a big topic (since my entire family is Ukrainian), especially with AP Art in which my sustained investigation for my portfolio is about Ukraine’s war with Russia.”
There are several works that Akselrod pinpoints with connections to Ukraine and Russia’s political tension. She particularly “chose to focus on Ukraine’s war with Russia back in August, having in mind Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and the war Russia has been constantly perpetuating in the Eastern regions Donetsk and Luhansk.” Akselrod reflects that “These events first happened in 2014, but it left a big impact on my life. I spent so much of my childhood in Crimea and in one moment that was gone, along with many family friends that supported Russian propaganda.” A favorite artwork of hers, “the triptych with the chains,” contemplates “a timeline of the Soviet Union, from its formation, to tensions and the Cold War, and finally it completely falling apart and Ukraine gaining independence. The chains represent the 15 republics that were stuck in the USSR, having negative lasting effects to this day from poor economies and high levels of corruption to constant aggression from the Russian government.”
Another piece she highlighted was a “ piece about propaganda that has become so unbelievably relevant right now…In my art piece, I included some real news articles I found from Ukrainian news sites and from Russian news sites. The Ukrainian side, with sunflowers (the national flower), has articles such as ‘How Russia is trying to create an illusion of peace in Donbas’ and ‘Thinking Russia wants peace is lack of thinking’ while the Russian side, with chamomiles (the national flower), has ‘Ukraine will fine people for thinking’ and ‘We will be greeted as liberators’. The cut in the middle of the artwork is a divide between Ukrainains and Russians, friends I’ve lost over the propaganda of both sides.”
As the world shows unyielding support for Ukraine, Akselrod is “finishing up a piece that is a bit more on the bright side…The help and love has been amazing as Ukraine fights for its freedom.” She also considers that “A potential next piece might be surrounding the humanitarian crisis in Mariupol or the massive amounts of bombing and damage the civilian population has been facing. I want to capture the tone of constant air raid sirens and hiding in bomb shelters as missiles rain down on cities.”