PERMACRISIS is a series of mixed-media artworks created by L. Christeseva during her artist residency in New York, United States, in the fall of 2022.
ART COLLECTION: PERMACRISIS (2022)
A neologism of 2022, Permacrisis describes an extended period of instability, uncertainty and interconnected global crises shaping contemporary life. This notion became the starting point and inspiration for the collection.
In 2022, Christeseva courageously proclaimed: “I do not have the right to paint in the shadow of war.” PERMACRISIS became the last painting collection she created during her artist residency at ESKFF at MANA Contemporary, New Jersey.
As we leaf through newspapers filled with headlines about growing conflicts – the war in Ukraine, Iran, Israel and beyond – we are reminded of the irreversible human cost of war: children who will never know their fathers, women mourning lost sons and generations growing up surrounded by fear, grief and uncertainty.
The emotional weight of war becomes almost impossible to process. In response, Christeseva covers fragments of newsprint with layers of yellow, pink and blue paint, partially obscuring the text and making reality itself difficult to read.
Several layers of paint transform breaking news into expressionistic landscapes of conflict. As remnants of information dissolve across the canvas, the artist questions the reality unfolding before her eyes.
For Christeseva, art has always been a form of sanctuary. PERMACRISIS stands as an urgent artistic and curatorial response to escalating wars and armed conflicts shaping our world. These canvases pulse between uncertainty and hope through the deliberate layering of newsprint and vibrant color.
Yet the project also raises a larger question:
How can horrific realities such as death and war be transformed into something beautiful? Is this the role of art? Or must contemporary artistic expression move beyond the canvas – becoming something we can wear close to the heart, something capable of bringing people together in the pursuit of peace, freedom, love and human kindness? Perhaps the future of art is not only something we look at – but something we hold onto in times of uncertainty.
