Artwork by Antony Reznik.
Antony Reznik and Borys Filonenko are comics creators, designers, illustrators and book makers. They have already collaborated several times. Currently, they are both dealing with the war and the events in their home country and trying to process their personal experiences through their work. SLEEK speaks to Antony Reznik who is currently in Berlin.
SLEEK: Would you briefly tell us about the stories behind the selection of your work that we have published here?
Antony Reznik: Borys and I have been working together for a while. He then suggested that I do this comics project with him as our “answer” to the news about the first wave of mobilisation in Russia. The whole project was supposed to be a metaphorical story about how a certain society feels comfortable in the real hell.
S: Why did you choose this style of storytelling?
AR: Choosing such a style and narrative form reflects the overall atmosphere and mood of our concept. For example, what other colours are there in hell?
S: What does your art mean to you right now?
AR: The same as it always has. The only problem is that at the moment I really don’t see any worthy artworks that deal with the current war in Ukraine. Most of the stuff that is being produced is boring, trivial and uncreative. It makes me feel sick as a parrot. I would like to change this state of affairs
Artwork by Antony Reznik.
S: You’re in Berlin now. How do you cope with such different realities?
WR: Well, Germany is quite familiar to me as I spent a lot of time here as a child. I love Berlin. The problem is that many people in Germany don’t think deeply enough about the war in Ukraine. They think that the war must be stopped now, even if Ukraine would be forced to lose its territories. That’s completely the wrong approach. If you’re sitting in a cosy bar in Kreuzberg, you’re far away from wars, losses and fear. Fortunately, big changes in the collective European consciousness are slowly emerging right now. But the biggest horror for me personally is the job centre! That goddamn bureaucracy drives me crazy!
S: Your definition of freedom is…
AR: I understand the term “freedom” to mean having the courage, will and strength to fight back when someone suddenly decides that you are now their property. It also works at the level of the entire nation and country. In the first case, I define it as “personal freedom” and in the second case as “social freedom”. It is not only about the physical aspect but also about self-identification and culture. Ukraine has already demonstrated its freedom.
Artwork by Antony Reznik.
As featured in SLEEK 76 – FREEDOM. Available in print and digital here.