Since April 2022, she has been incarcerated for propagating “knowingly false information” about the Russian military, and on the 8th November, prosecutors requested that Skochilenko be sentenced to eight years in prison.
In court, her lawyer quoted Sasha’s own words:
“This is a test of your humanity. You’ve been given a chance to pass it.”
Sasha’s art, music and writing is fuelled by her beliefs. So why is her voice being silenced? Artistic freedom is a form of expression and a human right. Her artwork is politically motivated, not only combating themes of anti-war activism, but also: LGBTQ+ rights, feminism, and mental health. As a method of expression, her words take an artistic role in defining her as a pacifist who values human life above all else.
Sasha’s art advocates peace and humanity from a place of conflict and inhumanity. Her work is not offensive or aggressive. Her illustrations are primarily in black ink, using moments of colour to focalise the emotion conveyed through each image. The simplicity of her artwork constructs poignant messages of harmonious existence, often foregrounded by symbols of war, like the barbed wire in the image below. They are solemn and hopeful, reminding the viewer of the battles faced by warzone civilians.
Artistic refuge is lost in a place without the freedom of self-expression. Multiple artists have been forced to leave Russia following the invasion, due to the threat of criminal prosecution because of their anti-war artistic statements. Imprisonment silences even the loudest of protest. Their voices are passionate, courageous, and determined. Their art means that their voices can still be heard.
Co-curaters Anna S., Dmitrii Moskovskii and Varvara collaborated to produce an exhibition of Sasha’s work earlier this year at The Koppel Project Station in Hampstead, London. Sasha’s work was also exhibited in Glasgow in July. It is important that, as people with a voice, we elevate and recognise the voices that are silenced. The exhibitions aimed to amplify Skochilenko’s voice from beyond the walls of the prison cell, in an act of humanitarian unity for justice, raising awareness of the atrocities the Russian government has been performing against its citizens.
Sasha’s art defies the unhumanitarian violence that exists in her country. Her work is a defence, not an attack and reaches out to promote empathy and raise awareness for war-zone civilians that are suffering.