Zhanna Kadyrova: Artist's Path

Zhanna Kadyrova, born in 1981 in Brovary, Kyiv region, Ukraine, is a multidisciplinary artist known for her innovative approaches in sculpture, photography, video, and performance. She graduated from the Taras Shevchenko State Art School in 1999.

Kadyrova has received numerous accolades, including the Kazimir Malevich Artist Award and the Grand Prix of the Kyiv Sculpture Project in 2012, as well as multiple awards from PinchukArtCentre: the Special Prize in 2011, Main Prize in 2013, and the Special Prize – Future Generation International in 2014.

Zhanna Kadyrova’s biography includes her participation in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the Kochi Biennale (2023), the Bangkok Biennale (2022), and the 58th, 56th (international projects), and 55th (Ukrainian Pavillion) Venice Biennale. In recent years, she has focused on site-specific projects, including an outdoor installation in the Semmering Mountains (Austria).

The artist is a member of the R.E.P. group (Revolution Experimental Space), alongside Nikita Kadan, Ksenia Hnylytska, Volodymyr Kuznetsov, and other artists.

Zhanna Kadyrova’s Art: Exploring the Bold Vision of the Artist

From the outset, Kadyrova's artistic practice has embraced a diverse range of media—including sculpture, photography, video, and performance—anchoring itself in a thoughtful engagement with site and space. Zhanna Kadyrova's technique is defined by her experimentation with forms, materials, and meanings. Frequently reinterpreting the aesthetic ideals of the socialist past still embedded in Ukrainian cultural heritage, Kadyrova's work draws symbolic and material inspiration from urban construction materials. Ceramics, glass, stone, and concrete thus become central elements, infusing her work with both physical and metaphorical weight.

When russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kadyrova was compelled to adapt her artistic focus. Relocating to the Carpathian Mountains, she initiated the humanitarian project PALIANYTSIA, which has since been exhibited internationally across Italy, Germany, Norway, Japan, France, the U.S., Sweden, Austria, Georgia, Romania, Thailand, and India. Now back in Kyiv, Kadyrova has created new works reflecting on the war, presented in her first major retrospective at Kunstverein Hannover in Germany.

One of the central themes in Zhanna Kadyrova's artworks is the reexamination of the legacy of past eras, particularly the USSR. While she works in various formats, she is most renowned for her mosaics, which critique Soviet aesthetic traditions by drawing on the styles of Constructivism and Socialist Realism. Through her use of this medium, she references its historical role as an ideological art form during the Soviet era, as well as its more decorative function after Ukraine's independence.

Zhanna Kadyrova’s installation “Crowd” (2012–13) features collages of newspaper photographs on 40 glass panels. By stripping away markers of context, geography, and class, the collection of faces serves as a metaphor for protests, illustrating how individual identities merge within the broader scope of political movements.

Zhanna Kadyrova’s Works for Sale: Create Your Own Collection

Zhanna Kadyrova’s works, celebrated for their innovative use of materials and profound commentary on society, have become highly sought-after by collectors and art enthusiasts alike. Notably, her works, including those from the “Anxiety” series, the “PALIANYTSIA” project, and many more, are offered for sale at auctions around the world.

Zhanna Kadyrova’s art for sale offers a diverse selection, ranging from bold installations to intricate mosaic pieces. Her works are available at various price points, providing a unique opportunity to invest in contemporary art that thoughtfully engages with political, historical, and cultural themes.