Last year the city of Kramatorsk in Ukraine, witnessed the completion of a series of four murals by three European artists to form the ‘You are East’ Project, curated by Denys Smacheliuk. The three artists consisted of Fabio Petani (IT), Bust the Drip (FR) and Dado Spuntocero (ES).
Italian artist Fabio Petani’s two outstanding new works for the project are titled ‘Aciarium & Lavandula Angustifolia’ and ‘Missae Ferrum & Nelumbo Lutea’. Petani used Aciarium (meaning steel in Latin) as the chemical element in his mural due to its association with this region of Ukraine. He wanted to create a specific connection between his artwork and its location. The Lavandula flower to symbolizes the strength of nature: the plant has been used to cure numerous ailments throughout the centuries.
The flowers and leaves in the background present contrast of minimalism with the shadow of plants, creating a mix between the two points of view: the first smooth and simple, the second, complex and realistic. The bright colors give movement to the composition, raising the overall intensity of the piece.
Petani’s second mural for the project, ‘Missae Ferrum & Nelumbo Lutea’ depicts a mountain lake in the sunshine. The colors create a strong contrast between the trees and mountains, the sky reflecting the water with a magical glass-like sheen.
Petani says, “Not all of us have the possibility to travel, to see the world. Through my work, the viewer can see a little bit of nature reflected through the streets.”
The Nelumbo (Lotus) flower in his mural represents force and desire for life, no matter what the circumstances.
French artist Bust the Drip’s mural for ‘You are East’ is titled ‘Laisser aller ses émotions’. The mural represents Ukrainian dancer Uzee Rock, and the artist used this snapshot of the dancer’s unique style of movement as a metaphor for the importance of releasing our emotions in order to heal ourselves. The walls are separated into 3 parts, each of the 3 dimensions linking to the 3 circles, representing the sound high medium.
Spanish artist Dado Spuntocero’s impressive mural for ‘You are East’ is titled, ‘Energías Reciclables’. Spuntocero’s statement of this piece is powerful and concise, “If this was a child’s game, then a situation, probably, would be better. We must look forward until we will reach a point of no return.”
With its profound statements, the ‘You are East’ Project offers a meaningful new face to a city in transition. Furthermore, by inviting international talents, the project establishes the city of Kramatorsk as destination for street art lovers.
Fabio Petani: website | facebook | instagram
Dado Spuntocero: instagram
Bust The Drip: instagram
