The Visual Language of the War: Viktor Grudakov

The Visual Language of the War: Viktor Grudakov

What did you do before February 24?

I worked in graphic design. My wife, three partners, and I founded Once Agency, an agency that developed brands, communications, and websites. That was my main activity.

I studied to become a designer and an artist, taking classes to hone my skills. That’s why I know how to create art. When the war started, I began creating posters and became very active in this work. Before the war, I didn’t create posters, but after it began, I focused heavily on producing them.


 

 

 

 

Can you describe your day on February 24, 2022?

It’s quite a funny story. The day before, we had been hesitating for a long time about whether to have an office party, since we hadn’t celebrated the New Year. We debated it over and over again and finally decided to go ahead. We rented Planeta Kino in Kyiv and had a small celebration. We wanted to distract ourselves from all the stress and weirdness building up around us, so we thought, “Okay, let’s have a party.”

At about five in the morning, a friend started calling us. We were asleep because we had gone to bed late.

I had gotten a bit paranoid earlier, so I had my go-bag packed. It took me just five minutes to get up, grab my bag, and head out.

We wanted to leave Kyiv right away, but it didn’t go as planned. Our friends hadn’t been as panicky and didn’t have their go-bags packed. So, we went to our friends’ place in Obolon to help them pack. By the time we got back, it was too late to leave: the traffic jams were too long and heavy. We decided to wait and see if the situation would become clearer or if everything would settle down.

In the evening, as the air raid sirens became more frequent and we received more news about the battle starting in Hostomel, we decided to leave. We gathered our things, packed our car full of friends, and left.

How has the full-scale war affected your work?

We spent the first few days trying to figure out what to do. We organized the Internet forces of Ukraine. During one of our first online work calls, I was sitting and waiting while others were speaking, and I started drawing on my tablet. I drew a Kyiv cake, uploaded it online, and the next day, it received a whole bunch of likes.

At that moment, I realized that this was what I wanted to do now and where I could be most useful.

I began depicting the events as they unfolded. At the same time, we also reset the work of the agency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The things you draw, is it a reflection or rather a way to distract yourself?

This is something completely new. My inspiration mostly comes from certain events: I see something, and I want to depict it, to show it. So, it’s a combination of both — a reflection and a simple desire to create.

How does art help in a war?

People in all creative professions have a unique skill: they absorb information and then convey it through powerful messages. They take in all the chaos, process it, and present it in a compelling way. In times of information warfare, this ability is crucial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you noticed the interest of people from other countries on your page?

Yes, I have. A woman from Australia wrote to me; first, she commented on my post, and then she sent a message saying, “I’m very glad that I found you. I really like what you are doing.” It surprised and pleased me. I started communicating with her, and she told me about how her father had moved to Australia. She mentioned that she wasn’t interested in politics before and believed that peace was the only right solution. Now she has changed her attitude and understands that peace sometimes requires a fight; you must stand up for it.

Many people abroad are trying to help by printing posters, selling them, and sending the proceeds to support funds.

Is it important now to build communities in order to attract more attention from abroad?

It is still difficult for me to answer this question. I don’t fully understand the format of such a community. However, I do notice that our community has already risen up in many ways. Many people have started communicating with each other; they take each other’s works and create their own. For instance, one illustrator took the Coat of Arms for the Armed Forces that I drew and used it in her illustration. We already have this kind of collaboration, and it’s really cool.

Original version published on August 25, 2022 in collaboration with Online media outlet Svidomi.

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