Sasha Kurmaz
Untitled, Diptych, 2019
About the Works
Photography is a vital part of Kurmaz’s artistic practice and continuous exploration of topics such as identity, sexuality, and gender. At times assembled in immersive installations or placed in a partisan manner on the city lights in public spaces, his photos are bold, often ironic reflections on the surrounding reality. They channel the spirit of creativity, liberalisation, and search for the self typical for a new generation of Ukrainian youth.
Kateryna Filyuk
About the Artist
Sasha Kurmaz (b. 1986) in Kyiv, Ukraine. Currently lives and works in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 2008 Kurmaz received a BFA in design from the National Academy of Managerial Staff of Culture and Arts in Kyiv. Sasha is an interdisciplinary artist. In his artistic practice, he studies various models of interaction with public space, social groups and communities as well as explores the changing relationship between human beings and the modern world.
The focus of his work is urban space, and society, as well as examines the tension between the citizen and the state. He uses different media to work with these issues, such as photography, video, public intervention, and performative situations. Kurmaz has participated in many international group exhibitions and festivals, including exhibitions at W139 2012 (Netherlands), Zamek Ujazdowski 2013 (Poland), ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art 2013 (Germany), Künstlerhaus Vienna 2014 (Austria), Architekturzentrum Wien 2014 (Austria), Saatchi Gallery 2015 (UK), Skovde Art Museum 2016 (Sweden), C/O Berlin 2016 (Germany), NRW-Forum Düsseldorf 2017 (Germany), Galeria Arsenał 2017 (Poland), PinchukArtCentre 2018 (Ukraine) and Latvian Museum of Photography 2019 (Latvia). Has held residencies at KulturKontakt 2015 (Austria), EoFA 2017 (Switzerland), HIAP 2018 (Finland), CEC ArtsLink 2019 (US), and Akademie der Künste 2020 (Germany). Sasha received C/O Berlin Talent Award 2016 (Germany), and Kazimir Malevich Artist Award 2020 (Ukraine). His work has been published in a wide range of international magazines, including Vice, Krytyka Polityczna, Liberation, FOAM, Tissue, Fisheye, Bloomberg Businessweek, Yet, Rolling Stones, Fotograf, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Adbusters magazine, Die ZEIT.
