Erin and "Pattern" painting by Sestry Feldman

For a while now I’ve longed for a piece of contemporary Ukrainian art.  Having travelled to that country often for work as a journalist, I always marvel at the fortitude of the artists who continue to work even as their home is under bombardment. But I’ve never been particularly confident in my ability to spot special pieces, and rarely brought anything back with me. 

On a recent trip to Dnipro I bought a coffee and wandered around the city, admiring the street art, when a particular piece caught my eye. It was a wreath of flowers encircling an English-language quote: “Love for life and freedom showed us our mom. – Sestry Feldman”.

Who was this Sestry Feldman? What was this about? I fell down a google wormhole and discovered the Feldman Sisters – twin Dnipro-born street artists who now travel around Ukraine and outside of it, papering cities with both anti-war graffiti and colourful homages to their heritage, painting steaming bowls of borsch, for example, or traditional Ukrainian patterns. 

When I returned to London I attended a Ukrainian fundraiser and art auction, co-organised by Subjektiv  – and the first piece I saw when I entered the room was a large Sestry Feldman painting of a field of neon mushrooms. I didn’t even need to trust my judgment on that one… the universe had decided for me. I bought the piece on the spot through the platform. 

Now it is the centerpiece of my living room, where the blue mushrooms exactly match the shade of my previously-painted wall, and nothing makes me happier than owning a piece of art with a backstory. 

I didn’t choose this one, it chose me.

More artworks from Sestry Feldman