Alina Zamanova

“Our Children Are Fighting Too” 
Solo exhibition by Alina Zamanova at The Smallest Gallery in Soho
10.22 - 12.22
London, UK

“This painting represents the Ukrainian children who became affected by the full-scale invasion war which Russia started in Ukraine on the 24th of February 2022. The children had to flee their homes, evacuate Ukraine under bombings and become refugees or orphans. Their lives changed in one day; they lost a part of their childhood (if not all of it). The artwork is dedicated to these children in the war, demonstrating the hope children bear for the future.

Zamanova met such kids when they all ended up in a tiny village in the western part of Ukraine in the mountains. The war forced them to hide for five months from bombings to gain some sense of safety. Being among those children, away from home, some had no home to return to, would leave a mark on any adult who has a heart. As months went by during the evacuation, Zamanova noticed that children still held a pure desire to be innocent, to be kids and to live a life playfully, but the war changed their values and childhood forever. They were playing soldiers fighting for Ukraine's freedom with the tools they found around them, which became their toys and playground. 

Within the painting is the symbolism of such representation. The girl, one that Zamanova met in western Ukraine, was playing as if fighting for Ukraine in a courtyard with a pinwheel. While running around for more than 20 minutes, she kept repeating that while the pinwheel was turning on the wind, Ukraine was winning. Such strong beliefs and power in our Ukrainian children to fight back against the evil of humanity give Zamanova and all Ukrainians the energy to keep fighting too. 

The boy, stuck in the occupied region in the village near Kyiv, had to take shelter underground from the bombing and war for safety, sometimes for months. Zamanova painted a boy who lost his parents but also wrote a diary about war and peace—showing hope for the future. Something we all learn from children. A strength in believing things can go back to what once was normal before the war.

Behind the children, you see two holes in the earth. They represent the destruction the invasion caused and the bruising of the land. Europe and the world took this land that produces most of our flour and cooking oils for granted. Also depicted with this are the two sunflowers on either side of the children, as Ukraine's flag colours and represents new beginnings and new life once the war ends for Ukraine with victory.” - The Smallest Gallery in Soho website

Please donate today to “Voices of Children” https://voices.org.ua/en/donat/

The Smallest Gallery in Soho

Founder/Curator/Manager:

Philip Levine
Philip established ‘The Smallest Gallery in Soho’ in 2016. He has been working in the creative and cultural industries for the last two decades as a producer. This has ranged from exhibitions, events, publishing, talks and creating his own unique artwork under the title ‘Headism’. He has gained a MA in Culture, Policy and Management at City, University of London. Being from London, his passion is knowing ‘who and what’ is up and coming in cultural trends and being involved within them.

Founder/Curator/Manager:

Andreia Costa
Andreia established ‘The Smallest Gallery in Soho’ in 2016. She is an Associate Architect at Jamie Fobert Architects. She studied in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Porto and practiced for 3 years in her native Portugal. Before moving to the UK Andreia decided to explore her contemporary art interest by working in Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art as an architecture and art lecturer. In 2010 she joined Jamie Fobert Architects, where she has been involved in several projects including Selfridges and Tate exhibitions.