Akishina. Speak Not Silence.

Marina Akishina is a person of peace, an artist, theatre director, organiser of festivals and street theatre performances in Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Vologda, Koktebel, Norilsk, author of numerous charity projects, author of a travelling exhibition dedicated to the cities of the Arctic, and an active participant in avant-garde art. After February 24, 2022, a fracture happens to her: she closes herself in her village house in the northern hinterland and in despair and horror of what is happening rushes for salvation to what she feels best - to paint. She paints every day - without sleeping or eating - as a chronicle of the terrible fratricidal war. She calls to witness the catastrophe all the great people of the past. Writers, artists, poets, musicians, scientists of the whole world of all times - all in Akishina's portraits stand united against today's madness and inhumanity. She appeals to them and expresses her own pain through allusions to their work. The artist's paintings have veiled meanings: she can no longer speak openly because her neighbour has denounced her. But there are new and new news, terrible news from the Ukrainian lands - and Marina again writes and publishes paintings and poems on Facebook, paints her house in blue-yellow colour and cannot, cannot keep silent. The collection of more than 100 incredible, very strong and talented works was dedicated to Odessa, the artist's favourite city. Marina Akishina died in May 2024. All her paintings are missing.