Sasha Kurmaz

{{Infobox artist

| name = Sasha Kurmaz

| image = Sasha kurmaz portrait 2023.tif

| caption = Sasha Kurmaz (2023)

| birth_name = Oleksandr Kurmaz (Ukrainian: Олекса́ндр Володи́мирович Ку́рмаз)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|9|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

| field = Art, photography

| website = {{URL|sashakurmaz.com}}

| nationality = {{flag|Ukraine}}

}}

Sasha Kurmaz ({{langx|uk|Са́ша Ку́рмаз}}; born 1986, Kyiv, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian interdisciplinary artist and photographer.{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://junge-akademie.adk.de/en/people/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=Junge Akademie, Akademie der Künste |language=en-US}}

Early life and education

Kurmaz was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine (former Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union), where he remains based. His artistic trajectory began within Kyiv's graffiti scene during the early 2000s as a member of the collective Psia Krew ({{langx|uk|Пся Крев}}), which operated at the intersection of classical and post-graffiti styles.{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz (Ukraine) – Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art |url=https://u-jazdowski.pl/en/programme/residencies/residents/archiwum-rezydentow/sasha-kurmaz |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art}}{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/sasha-kurmaz-reclaim-of-the-eastern-public-space |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Metal Magazine |language=es}} He received technical training at the Kyiv Electromechanical College (Bachelor's degree, 2005) before studying design at the National Academy of Government Managerial Staff of Culture and Arts (Master's degree, 2008).{{Cite web |title=СV - Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://sashakurmaz.com/SV |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=sashakurmaz.com}}{{Cite web |last=Fedorova |first=Anastasiia |title=Sasha Kurmaz: an artist’s guide to reclaiming public space |url=https://www.new-east-archive.org/features/show/4899/kiev-now-creative-artist-photographer-graffiti-sasha-kurmaz |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=New East Digital Archive}}

Artistic practice

He uses various media and approaches in his artistic practice, such as photography, video, public intervention, and situations, as well as diverse strategies to engage the audience through collaborative practice.{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz – Art Fair Foto Tallinn |url=https://www.fototallinn.ee/en/participant/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=fototallinn.ee}} He also actively experiments with found and archival images and develops conceptual artists’ books. The main focus of his work is social and political issues and global challenges that Ukrainian society has faced in recent years.{{Cite web |title=In his performance "Untitled" Sasha Kurmaz considers bodily performance as a form of memory and honor |url=https://artaudfellowship-ukraine.org/en/work/sasha-kurmaz-2/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Antonin Artaud Fellowship Ukraine}}

Kurmaz's works have been widely presented at many international exhibitions and festivals, including exhibitions at the Akademie der Künste Berlin (Germany), Künstlerhaus Vienna (Austria), Latvian Museum of Photography (Latvia), Galeria Arsenał (Poland), Museum Folkwang (Germany), Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art (Poland), Museum de Fundatie (The Netherlands), NRW-Forum Düsseldorf (Germany), Forum Stadtpark (Austria), C/O Berlin (Germany), Skovde Art Museum (Sweden), Centre Photographique Marseille (France), Albertinum – Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany), The DOX Centre for Contemporary Art (Czech Republic), ZKM Center for Art and Media{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz|url=https://zkm.de/de/person/sasha-kurmaz |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=zkm.de |language=de}} (Germany), Stadtgalerie Künstlerhaus Lauenburg{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz EN – Künstlerhaus Lauenburg |url=https://kuenstlerhaus-lauenburg.de/2024/12/03/sasha-kurmaz-en/?lang=en |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=kuenstlerhaus-lauenburg.de}} (Germany) and many others.

File:Installation view, OXYD Kunsträume, Winterthur, 2018..jpg

Awards

He was awarded the C/O Berlin Talent Award{{Cite web |last=Kurmaz |first=Sasha |title=C/O Berlin Talent Award 2016 {{!}} C/O Berlin |url=https://www.co-berlin.org/en/program/co-berlin-talent-award |url-status=live |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=www.co-berlin.org}} in 2016 (Germany), the Kazimir Malevich Art Award{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz won the Kazimir Malevich Prize in 2020 |url=https://kmbs.ua/en/news/laureat-premii-malevycha-2020 |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=kmbs.ua}} in 2020 (Ukraine-Poland), and the Grand Prix Images Vevey{{Cite web |title=Winning projects 2023/2024 |url=https://www.images.ch/en/grand-prix/winning-projects/ |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Images.ch}}{{Cite web |title=26 – Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://www.images.ch/en/artistes/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Images.ch}} in 2023 (Switzerland).

Fellowships and residencies

File:The Temple of the Transfiguration Sasha Kurmaz.jpg

The Gaude Polonia Scholarship (Poland), CEC ArtsLink{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://www.cecartslink.org/participant/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=CEC ArtsLink}} (United States), KulturKontakt (Austria), the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art (Poland), HIAP{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz|url=https://www.hiap.fi/resident/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=hiap.fi}} (Finland), Westwerk{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://www.westwerk.org/sasha-kurmaz.html |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=westwerk.org}} (Germany), Kulturhaus Villa Sträuli{{Cite web |title=Archiv Kunstschaffende - Villa Sträuli Kultursalon, Bistro und Artists-in-Residence Winterthur - Restaurant |url=https://sulzberg.ch/artists.html |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=sulzberg.ch}} (Switzerland), Akademie der Künste{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://junge-akademie.adk.de/people/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Junge Akademie, Akademie der Künste |language=de}}{{Cite web |title=Akademie der Künste |url=https://www.adk.de/de/akademie/junge-akademie/berlin-stipendium/2020/SashaKurmaz.htm |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=adk.de |language=de}} (Germany), Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral (Germany).{{Cite web |title=Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://balmoral.de/stipendiatin/sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=artist residency – Schloss Balmoral |language=de-DE}}

Selected exhibitions

2011 — Mystetskyi Arsenal / Mala Gallery. “Newspeak.” Kyiv, Ukraine.
2011 — Paperworks Gallery. “The Frenzied Urge to Struggle.” (with Kirill Savchenkov) Moscow, Russia.
2012 — VCRC at NaUKMA. “Ukrainian Body.” Kyiv, Ukraine.{{Cite news |title=Sex, nationalism and academic freedom: The controversy at Kyiv Mohyla Academy - Feb. 28, 2012 |url=https://archive.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/sex-nationalism-and-academic-freedom-the-controver-123252.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240516074313/https://archive.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/sex-nationalism-and-academic-freedom-the-controver-123252.html |archive-date=2024-05-16 |access-date=2025-06-11 |work=Kyiv Post |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Ukrainian Body {{!}} Центр візуальної культури |url=https://vcrc.org.ua/en/ukrbody/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |language=uk}}
2012 — W139. “Catch A Glimpse of Me.” Amsterdam, Netherlands.
2013 — CCA Ujazdowski Castle. “Ukrainian News.” Warsaw, Poland.{{Cite web |title=Ukrainian News - Announcements |url=https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/32981/ukrainian-news/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=e-flux |language=en}}
2013 — Survival Kit – International Contemporary Arts Festival. Riga, Latvia.{{Cite web |title=Artists 2013 {{!}} SURVIVAL KIT 5 |url=http://www.survivalkit.lv/2013/en/artists-2013/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=www.survivalkit.lv}}
2013 — FORMAT Photography Festival. Derby, United Kingdom.{{Cite news |last=O'Hagan |first=Sean |last2=O’Hagan |first2=Sean |date=2013-03-10 |title=Format international photography festival – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/mar/10/format-photography-festival-derby-review |access-date=2025-06-11 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
2013 — ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art. “Global Activism.” Karlsruhe, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Global Activism {{!}} ZKM |url=https://zkm.de/en/publication/global-activism |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=zkm.de |language=en}}
2014 — Künstlerhaus. “I Am Drop In The Ocean.” Vienna, Austria.{{Cite web |title=Künstlerhaus - I AM A DROP IN THE OCEAN |url=https://www.kuenstlerhaus.at/kuenstlerhaus/album/i-am-a-drop-in-the-ocean/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=www.kuenstlerhaus.at |language=de}}
2014 — Yermilov center. “After The Victory.” Kharkiv, Ukraine.
2015 — Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography. Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.{{Cite web |title=Journées photographiques de Bienne, 3.–25.5.2025 {{!}} Tool of Resistance |url=https://bielerfototage.ch/en/Exhibition/tool-of-resistance/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Journées photographiques de Bienne, 3.–25.5.2025 {{!}} Tool of Resistance |language=en-GB}}
2015 — Kaunas Photography Festival. Kaunas, Lithuania.
2015 — Saatchi Gallery. “UK/raine.” London, United Kingdom.{{Cite web |title=UK/RAINE : EMERGING ARTISTS FROM THE UK AND UKRAINE |url=https://www.newexhibitions.com/e/30027 |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=www.newexhibitions.com}}
2016 — Kunsthalle Exnergasse WUK. “Into the Dark.” Vienna, Austria.{{Cite web |title=Into the Dark |url=https://www.wuk.at/kunsthalle-exnergasse/kunsthalle-exnergasse-archiv/2016/05/into-the-dark/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=www.wuk.at |language=de}}
2016 — Gallery Awangarda BWA Wrocław. “Dependence Degree.” Wrocław, Poland.
2016 — The Art Museum of Skovde. “Between Revolution and War.” Skövde, Sweden.
2017 — NRW Forum. “Perfect Storm.” Düsseldorf, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Perfect Storm : NRW-Forum Düsseldorf (de) |url=https://www.nrw-forum.de/ausstellungen/perfect-storm |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=www.nrw-forum.de}}
2017 — Czech Center. “Baby, I Like It Raw.” New York City, United States.{{Cite web |last=Morton |first=Elise |title=Baby, I like it raw: New York exhibition reflects on post-Eastern Bloc youth culture |url=https://www.new-east-archive.org/articles/show/7878/baby-i-like-it-raw-new-york-exhibition-reflects-on-post-eastern-bloc-youth |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=New East Digital Archive |language=en}}
2017 — Galeria Arsenał. “Central by East Central.” Białystok, Poland.{{Cite web |title=Central by East Central – Białystok Interphoto |url=https://www.interphoto.pl/exhibitions/central-by-east-central/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |language=pl-PL}}
2017 — Bien Urbain Public Art Festival. Besançon, France.{{Cite web |title=The Pain of Others Sasha Kurmaz |url=https://journal.urbantranscripts.org/article/the-pain-of-others-sasha-kurmaz/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=The Urban Transcripts Journal |language=en-GB}}
2017 — BIG Biennale. Geneva, Switzerland.
2018 — OXYD Kunsträume. “Flip A Coin.” Winterthur, Switzerland.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-07 |title='FLIP A COIN' by Sasha Kurmaz at oxyd Kunsträume, Winterthur |url=https://tzvetnik.online/article/sasha-kurmaz-at-oxyd-kunstraume |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=tzvetnik.online |language=en}}
2019 — Mystetskyi Arsenal. “Obabich.” Kyiv, Ukraine.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-22 |title=Obabich – Мистецький арсенал |url=https://artarsenal.in.ua/en/vystavka/obabich-2/ |access-date=2025-06-09}}
2019 — Latvian Museum of Photography. “The Body of Propaganda.” Riga, Latvia.{{Cite web |title="The Body of Propaganda" – Latvian Museum of Photography |url=https://www.rigamuz.lv/lfm/en/exhibitions/archive/the-body-of-propaganda/ |access-date=2025-06-09}}
2020 — Galería Santa Fe. “Escaleras Futuras.” Bogotá, Colombia.{{Cite web |title=Escaleras Futuras – Curaduría: MSD: Daniela Gutiérrez y Sebastián Mira – Galería Santa Fe |url=https://galeriasantafe.gov.co/escaleras-futuras/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |language=es}}
2021 — PinchukArtCentre. “Remember Yesterday.” Kyiv, Ukraine.{{Cite web |title=«Remember Yesterday» Group exhibition by Ukrainian artists |url=https://new.pinchukartcentre.org/en/exhibitions/remember-yesterday-en |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=new.pinchukartcentre.org}}
2021 — Galeria Arsenał. “Na początku był czyn!” Białystok, Poland.{{Cite web |title=Na początku był czyn! |url=https://galeria-arsenal.pl/wystawy/na-poczatku-byl-czyn |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=galeria-arsenal.pl |language=pl}}
2021 — Forum Stadtpark. “One Monument in Time.” Graz, Austria.{{Cite web |title=Forum Stadtpark {{!}} ONE MONUMENT IN TIME |url=https://forumstadtpark.at/de/programm/one-monument-in-time |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=forumstadtpark.at}}
2022 — Akademie der Künste. “What Matters.” Berlin, Germany.{{Cite web |title=What Matters – Werkpräsentation JUNGE AKADEMIE |url=https://www.adk.de/de/programm/index.htm?we_objectID=63712 |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=adk.de |language=de}}
2022 — Museum Folkwang. “What is depicted here?” Essen, Germany.{{Cite web |title=6:30 pm: Assortymentna kimnata – What is depicted here?|publisher=Museum Folkwang |url=https://www.museum-folkwang.de/en/event/630-pm-assortymentna-kimnata-what-depicted-here |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=museum-folkwang.de}}
2022 — PHOXXI / Deichtorhallen Hamburg. “The New Abnormal.” Hamburg, Germany.{{Cite web |title=The New Abnormal – Eine Kooperation mit den Odesa Photo Days ⎟ Deichtorhallen Hamburg |url=https://www.deichtorhallen.de/ausstellung/the-new-abnormal |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=deichtorhallen.de |language=de}}
2022 — DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. “The Pain of Others.” Prague, Czech Republic.{{Cite web |title=DOX – The Pain of Others |url=https://www.dox.cz/en/whats-on/the-pain-of-others |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=DOX}}
2022 — Timișoara Architecture Biennial (Beta). Timișoara, Romania.
2023 — Centre Photographique Marseille. “Ukraine(s).” Marseille, France.{{Cite web |title=PAC · Provence Art Contemporain – Ukraine(S) |url=https://p-a-c.fr/les-membres/centre-photographique-marseille/ukraine-s |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=p-a-c.fr |language=fr}}
2023 — Albertinum – Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. “Kaleidoscope of (Hi)stories. Ukrainian Art 1912–2023.” Dresden, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Albertinum: Kaleidoskop der Geschichte(n). Ukrainische Kunst 1912–2023 |url=https://albertinum.skd.museum/ausstellungen/kaleidoskop-der-geschichten-ukrainische-kunst-1912-2023/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Albertinum |language=de}}
2023 — The 18th Venice Biennale of Architecture. The Pavilion of Ukraine. Venice, Italy.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-15 |title=Biennale Architettura 2023 {{!}} Ukraine participates in the Biennale Architettura 2023 |url=https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/ukraine-participates-biennale-architettura-2023 |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=La Biennale di Venezia}}
2023 — Foto Arsenal Wien. “Crossing Lines. Politics of Images.” Vienna, Austria.{{Cite web |title=Crossing Lines. Politics of Images |url=https://www.fotowien.at/en/ausstellung/crossing-lines-politics-of-images/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Foto Wien}}
2023 — Museum de Fundatie. “Kaleidoscope of (Hi)stories: Kunst aus der Ukraine.” Zwolle, Netherlands.{{Cite web |title=Kaleidoscope of (Hi)stories - Museum de Fundatie |url=https://www.museumdefundatie.nl/de/kaleidoscope-of-histories/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=museumdefundatie.nl |language=de}}
2023 — Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center. “Crossing Lines. Politics of Images.” Budapest, Hungary.{{Cite web |title=Crossing Lines. Politics of Images |url=https://capacenter.hu/en/kiallitasok/crossing-lines-politics-of-images |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Capa Központ}}
2024 — Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo. “Beyond the Silence.” Oaxaca, Mexico.
2025 — Jam Factory Art Center. “Beyond the Silence.” Lviv, Ukraine.{{Cite web |title=Виставка Beyond the Silence |url=https://jamfactory.ua/events/beyond-the-silence/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Jam Factory}}
2025 — C/O Berlin. “Documentary in Flux.” Berlin, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Documentary in Flux {{!}} C/O Berlin |url=https://co-berlin.org/de/programm/ausstellungen/documentary-flux |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=co-berlin.org}}

Publications

13 Stories of War. Ukrainian Warchive (2024). {{ISBN|978-9152793886}}
Orthodox Chic. Sasha Kurmaz / Alexander Burlaka / Alexey Bykov. Osnovy Publishing LLC (2020). {{ISBN|978-9665008545}}
METHOD. C/O Berlin Talents 38. Sasha Kurmaz / Svea Bräunert. KEHRER Verlag (2016). {{ISBN|978-3868287080}}
Concrete and Sex. Sasha Kurmaz. PogoBooks (2013). {{ISBN|978-3942547260}}

References

External links

[https://u-jazdowski.pl/en/programme/residencies/conversations/Sasha-kurmaz Mapping the geopolitics of art. Sasha Kurmaz in conversation with Klara Czerniewska-Andryszczyk]
[https://moksop.org/art/artists/sasha-kurmaz/ Artist profile on the Museum of Kharkiv School of Photography]

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Artists from Kyiv

Category:Ukrainian photographers

Category:Fine art photographers

Category:Ukrainian contemporary artists

Category:21st-century Ukrainian artists

Category:21st-century Ukrainian male artists