Artist Humorously Rediscovering The Scenes Of Ordinary Life In Israel, Soviet Russia And Africa

Throughout her career as an artist, Ukraine-born Zoya Cherkassky-Nnadi has not lacked for public interest, critical acclaim, or financial compensation. Her pieces have been shown in premier Israeli art galleries for over a decade. Her work is continually covered in the mainstream media. And her sketches fetch anywhere from $5,000 to five or six times that amount.

Following her Russian immigration project, Zoya started to portray her childhood memories in the dying Soviet Union, moments before its dissolution. The works focus on daily life and it’s common, memorable details that would be easily recognized by a whole generation of people who grew up during that time in the Soviet Union. From typical clothing and textiles, through familiar furniture and objects and on to popular bands and TV shows.

After her first visit to Enugu state in Nigeria, her partner’s hometown, in 2013 she picked up the brush and painted what she saw. The paintings illustrate daily situations in the village such as taking a midday nap, watching television, family gatherings, the return of an uncle from the diaspora, and the local market.

The paintings of the people of Enugu are characteristic of Cherkassky-Nnadi’s style. Prior to this new work, she painted daily scenes of Russian immigrants in Israel in a body of work called “Aliya 91”, still lifes, nudes, and a peculiar image named “The circumcision of Uncle Yasha”.

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