SERIES "THE GUARDIANS" 2023 – 2026

The series “Guardians,” which I began in 2023, emerged after working on illustrations for the novel “From Above to Below” by Tania Maliarchuk, a text imbued with mysticism and the transformation of its characters.
This series reflects on the idea of defenders. In these works, birds — primarily owls — appear as quiet companions to humans: guardians who keep watch over us day and night.
In my drawings and paintings they exist at different stages of transformation, captured either in moments of rest or while standing guard over someone’s sleep.
“Who stands guard while we sleep” runs throughout the series as a recurring line. It arose from reflections on fragility and trust. Sleep is a state in which a person becomes vulnerable and cannot control what is happening around them. For that reason, someone must remain watchful.
The series developed from the idea of a person who suddenly faces the necessity of protecting a space, a home, and other people. I am interested in the moment when an ordinary individual, under the pressure of circumstances, takes on the role of a guardian.
In these images the human merges with the animal, creating hybrid figures — beings that seem to exist between two states: calm and tension, rest and vigilance.
Living in Kharkiv today, the image of the night guardian has come to represent a profound responsibility for the safety and peace of others.