Female image. Sketch 1975

This sketch of a female image was made by Hryhorii Havrylenko at an unknown date. Havrylenko was a Ukrainian artist born in 1927, who worked during the Soviet era when Ukrainian artistic expression was often suppressed or directed to serve state propaganda. This simple line drawing departs from socialist realism, the official style of the Soviet Union. The minimalist style is a world away from idealized portrayals of Soviet life. It’s a personal sketch and arguably a quiet act of resistance to the dominant artistic norms of the period. Understanding Havrylenko's artistic choices requires us to consider the political and cultural environment in which he worked, and to understand the subtle ways in which artists expressed their individuality under a restrictive regime. Careful archival work can reveal the complex relationship between art and power.