The “Stand with Ukraine” poster is definitely different from the works of art I create on a daily basis. I was looking for a slightly different means of expression to create it, intending to avoid the unsuitable ‘cartoonishness’ that I usually make use of. In my case, apart from the obvious disagreement with the aggression, the war in Ukraine evoked a reflection on the matter of the common roots of Poles and Ukrainians. I think that many of my compatriots understood how close we are to each other — in terms of both geography and culture. I have the impression that this was one of the aspects that triggered such a great response and scale of support on the Polish side. I think it’s an important reflection, especially in the context of the post-transformation aspirations of Poles to look only towards the West, somewhat away from their Slavic identity and common roots with their neighbours. For this reason, I decided to make my work feature the motif of paper cut-outs, a motif found commonly in both Polish and Ukrainian folk art. You could say it’s a modern version of folk art paper cutting — featuring peace symbols, but also a projectile pointing downward, with said peace symbols soaring above it. Flowers, which usually have a decorative function in folk art, have become here a symbol of new beginnings, of a land that will be reborn again with the coming of peace.