Zhanna Kadyrova

Zhanna Kadyrova has established herself as one of Ukraine’s most powerful contemporary artists. Working in sculpture, installation, and site-specific interventions, she explores themes of space, conflict, and survival. Through her practice, everyday materials are transformed into deep reflections on value, displacement, and cultural identity.

During her artistic career, Zhanna Kadyrova has showcased her art in Ukraine and abroad in solo and group exhibitions, earning global recognition and numerous awards and accolades.  

Her art engages deeply with urban materials and Soviet-era aesthetics, especially through mosaics and site-specific installations. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, the artist shifted her focus to humanitarian efforts such as the PALIANYTSIA project and produced new artworks addressing the conflict.

Kadyrova’s distinctive blend of material experimentation and social commentary has made her works highly sought after by collectors globally, with pieces available for acquisition across a range of styles and themes.

Born in 1981 in Brovary, Kyiv region, Ukraine, the artist 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.

In 2025, Zhanna Kadyrova won the Shevchenko Prize in Visual Arts for her project “Flying Trajectories." It marked the first time in 20 years that a woman had received this prestigious award. That same year, she received the Her Art Prize for her project Refugees, which poignantly documents the interiors of buildings damaged during the war.

The artist has also participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the Kochi Biennale (2023), the Bangkok Biennale (2022), and the 58th, 56th (international projects), and 55th (Ukrainian Pavilion) Venice Biennale. In July 2025, it became known that the 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2026 will feature Zhanna Kadyrova's "Security Guarantees," curated by Kseniia Malykh and Leonid Marushchak.

Her recent solo shows include “Border Memory” at Uppsala Art Museum in Uppsala (2024), “Anxiety” at the Czech Centre in Sofia and Galleria Continua in San Gimignano(2024), “Unexpected” at Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague (2024), among others. Recently, Zhanna’s projects have been showcased in group exhibitions, such as “Burning” at k41community.fund in Kyiv (2025), “And The Wind Will Carry Us Away” at Stasys Museum in Panevėžys (2025), and “Women at War” at North Dakota Museum of Art in North Dakota (2025). 

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

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. Her 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. Through these materials, she not only explores the textures and histories embedded within the urban landscape but also transforms everyday elements into profound artistic statements, reflecting on societal structures, historical narratives, and the human condition.

The artist frequently incorporates materials and techniques inspired by Soviet-era architecture, including concrete, ceramic tiles, and mosaics. Her works often feature reused materials that carry layers of history, transformed through her art to take on fresh meaning while still echoing their past.

In addition to her varied use of tiles, Zhanna Kadyrova also works with photography, newspaper cutouts, cement, asphalt, bricks, and everyday objects. 

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.

Her latest creation, "Instrument" (2024), is a remarkable playable organ, its pipes forged from the very fragments of Russian artillery shells. This isn't just a musical instrument; it's a profound act of alchemy, transforming the brutal remnants of war into resonant sound and deep meaning. The piece offers a poignant meditation on resilience and the unwavering spirit of culture amidst conflict. "Instrument" stands as a testament to art's subversive power, turning implements of destruction into vibrant symbols of resurrection and hope. First unveiled at the world-renowned Venice Biennale 2024, it can now be seen at the Lviv train station.

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. The project features sculptures resembling the traditional Ukrainian bread, palianytsia, made from river stones.

In "House of Culture" (2023), an evocative installation, Kadyrova masterfully weaves together material evidence of war and deep cultural memory. The work is built from the remnants of a heavily shelled building in the Kherson region and incorporates a salvaged chandelier from the House of Culture in Beryslav, a city that endured Russian occupation. Through this powerful piece, Kadyrova reclaims the "house of culture" for the Ukrainian people, redefining it as a sanctuary for the preservation and restoration of their threatened heritage. The installation functions as a poignant monument to all Ukrainian cultural institutions that have been destroyed, while simultaneously shining as a beacon of light—a symbol of art and culture's unwavering resilience and survival during wartime.

Kadyrova’s project "Refugees" addresses a wide Ukrainian community. This project diverges from her earlier works by incorporating living witnesses: plants she personally rescued from destroyed public infrastructure across Ukraine, such as libraries, hospitals, and schools. These "refugee" plants are physically uprooted from disaster zones and relocated abroad, becoming a powerful, living metaphor for both displacement and enduring resilience.

Another significant project is Animalier (2020), for which she created costumes for animals—geese, cows, horses, and more—that mimic the patterns of their natural predators, such as pythons and leopards. A central theme in these works is transgression, which reveals the inherent tension between nature and society. This imbalance leads to a striking reversal of traditional roles: in an era of ecological crisis, predators facing extinction become more vulnerable than the herbivores they once hunted.

Zhanna Kadyrova's installation "Crowd" (2012-2013) 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.

Among her ongoing projects is the “Anxiety” series, started in 2022, shortly after the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Works from the series incorporate text and traditional embroideries. They capture the pervasive anxiety experienced by those who remain in Ukraine, living under the constant shadow of potential threats until the war ends.

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.

Today, art enthusiasts and collectors have the opportunity to purchase high-quality digitized versions of Kadyrova’s works through the UFDA website, including works from her ‘Anxiety” series. These digital editions allow admirers of her legacy to experience and preserve her masterpieces in a modern format, while also supporting the promotion of Ukrainian cultural heritage.

In February 2025, a piece from her “Anxiety” series was sold at the auction organized by the Ukrainian Fund of Digitized Art (UFDA). Starting at 6,500 USDC, the bidding concluded at 7,700 USDC, highlighting growing international interest in digitized Ukrainian art and symbolizing a meaningful intersection of contemporary creativity and emerging digital formats.