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Mikhail Ray
Artist from Ukraine
Mikhail Ray is a multidisciplinary artist and curator from Kherson, Ukraine. He was born on February 22, 1984 in a family of former ship's cooks, graduated the Maritime College and served at sea as a Deck Officer. In search of satisfaction he started to engage in photography. At first it was nothing more than a hobby, until he saw realistic digital photo collages. The ability to synthesize his own images, instead of reflecting through the surrounding reality, quickly captured his full attention. He finally got the right tools to recreate his inner world and transform it, thus his interest in traditional photographic practice was finally lost. He began to discover hidden facets of his own consciousness and this pushed him to find answers in psychology and religions. Shortly before the full scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, he gave up with his maritime career he had been building for over 20 years and intended to live a life, creating art that could awaken people. On February 24, 2022 life began to challenge him. He decided to stay in Kherson, his native city, which was occupied by Russian forces, and fight for freedom with the power of his art. This decision unexpectedly brought him to the answers he was looking for. To proof that Paradise (Ray in Ukrainian) is not a place, but a state of consciousness.
During occupation of Kherson he gave interviews to BBC and number of Ukraininan, US and Taiwanese journalists about his art and situation in the city and took part in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine, Europe, USA and Asia. His artworks are held in private collections in USA, Netherlands & Ukraine.
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Burnout
Sculpture by Mikhail Ray
12 x 15 cm • Glass, Metal, Pigment, Plastic, Concrete, Fluid
"Trigger Globes" series
In collaboration with Nadiya Petrovska
Edition 1/12
Thanks to the heroic efforts of partisans, special ops fighters and, who would have guessed, Russian invaders, in occupied Kherson it was quite common to drive past a burned-out car of a local collaborator. Under the occupation regime in the city, no one even bothered to clear the debris from the streets. Betrayal is difficult to forgive, it is despised even by those, who encouraged it. After all, you can't trust someone who betrayed you. Unfortunately, we don't even notice how, quite often, we betray ourselves.
In peaceful life, most of us were collaborators. Emotional burnout awaits everyone who drive someone else's road rather than their own: who allow other people to control their lives, emotions, decisions and goals. It often happens that, if not society, then buried long time ago ancestors and parents direct our lives. Everyone has its own route. Along it, behind every true goal we pursue, there is a gas station where we refuel and drive on. False goals leave the tank empty. It's hard to forgive yourself. But we have to make an effort, break through the concrete of childhood traumas and outgrown false beliefs and restore trust, because no one can escape from internal partisans and special ops fighters.
About the artist
Mikhail Ray
Artist from Ukraine
Mikhail Ray is a multidisciplinary artist and curator from Kherson, Ukraine. He was born on February 22, 1984 in a family of former ship's cooks, graduated the Maritime College and served at sea as a Deck Officer. In search of satisfaction he started to engage in photography. At first it was nothing more than a hobby, until he saw realistic digital photo collages. The ability to synthesize his own images, instead of reflecting through the surrounding reality, quickly captured his full attention. He finally got the right tools to recreate his inner world and transform it, thus his interest in traditional photographic practice was finally lost. He began to discover hidden facets of his own consciousness and this pushed him to find answers in psychology and religions. Shortly before the full scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, he gave up with his maritime career he had been building for over 20 years and intended to live a life, creating art that could awaken people. On February 24, 2022 life began to challenge him. He decided to stay in Kherson, his native city, which was occupied by Russian forces, and fight for freedom with the power of his art. This decision unexpectedly brought him to the answers he was looking for. To proof that Paradise (Ray in Ukrainian) is not a place, but a state of consciousness.
During occupation of Kherson he gave interviews to BBC and number of Ukraininan, US and Taiwanese journalists about his art and situation in the city and took part in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine, Europe, USA and Asia. His artworks are held in private collections in USA, Netherlands & Ukraine.
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