Rain Delmar

“Growing up, my favorite book was an illustrated poem, “Lukomorye,” by Alexander Pushkin. In the story, a wise black cat chained to an oak tree told fables of Slavic spirits, heroes, and beasts. My favorite page was a blue illustration of a rusalka solemnly brushing her hair on a moonlit lake. I would spend hours staring at it, imagining myself in that enchanting lagoon. There is a statue of her, a forest spirit, and the wise cat, in Donetsk, Ukraine. I think about that magical, idealistic fairytale, and how starkly it contrasts with the devastation my country is drowned in today. I wonder if that statue will survive. My painting, Grief in Time of War, is an open letter of sorrow from someone having to watch her country fall to ruin. It felt fitting to write it through the lens of my favorite childhood character.”