As we announced last week, Juxtapoz has teamed with a group of Ukraine-based artists, curated by our friend Waone, to create a series of prints to benefit people on the ground in the country effected by the continued war. You can see and purchase the prints here: https://shop.juxtapoz.com/prints.html

We have spoken with each artist who has generously donated a print, and today, we speak with Kyiv-based artist Artem Proot, who donated two works: Vinyl Records and Fruit Bowl. Artem is a self-taught artist living and working in Kyiv, Ukraine, where his work is inspired by the culture of pop art and many other things that surround us.

Evan Pricco: Artem, tell me about the two prints you donated for thi benefit.
Artem Proot: With Vinyl Records, for me, this work is a clear example of the search, which is an integral part of me. This topic with records shows very well, because music covers everything around that is in our life! When you need to find a response to your feelings, we often turn to music. It would be good to use the track "Searching," bby Roy Ayers as an example.Also, the mention of this song sends me to a cycle of radio programs about soul, funk... which was made by my friend Artur Yavorsky, or rather, I met him after I became a fan of his program, and he was a fan of my work before that. That's what this job means to me. Although I love when everyone can interpret my work. I'm not trying to show anything in particular.

And Fruit Bowl... Fruit still life, for me personally, it was a new topic in which I could say something of my own, in the classical subjects of art. It was 2017-2018, and I just left drawing my characters and began to discover new stories. Interiors, exteriors, landscapes, still lifes, I've never painted this before, so for me it's still the same moment of search that I'm in permanently.
Also, it was a very difficult period for me, there was very little money, and when my friend saw this picture, he wrote to me that when he came to visit me, he would lay the same table!
Again my work refers me to my friends.

What has this experience in Ukraine taught you about communication and connection with others? 
The fact that we have a war going on now, and what I see, and I myself am a participant in this process. So the fact that all the people whom I know and see in social networks, they try to be useful, everyone who does what they can, now there are no indifferent people, everyone worries about their relatives and friends, as well as for everyone they don’t know, we are all now as a nation, one big family, and it's incredible! I have never seen such a union. Also, thanks to the Internet, we can communicate with the whole world, quickly and without restrictions. We see and really appreciate all the help and support that the whole world gives us, without exaggeration! I am infinitely grateful to everyone and everyone for any sign of attention in our direction! It's unforgettable!

You can purchase the prints at https://shop.juxtapoz.com/prints.html

All procoeeds to benefit Save Ukraine Now
https://www.saveukrainenow.if.ua/en/