Lens of the Witnesses: A Solo Show of Lesia Khomenko

The Shevchenko Scientific Society, New York is pleased to present Lens of the Witnesses, an exhibition of new works by Lesia Khomenko, on view at 63 4th Ave, from February 6th through August 31st, 2026. This is Lesia’s fourth solo exhibition in the United States, and her third solo exhibition in New York. A reception with the artist will be held on Friday, February 6, from 6–8 PM.

In a new body of large-scale paintings based on raw footage from the frontline of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Khomenko incorporates various records—including drone footage, soldiers’ body cameras, and civilians’ phone records—into seemingly abstract, semi-representational paintings. The Russian-Ukrainian war is the most heavily documented war in history. There is “big data” in the form of diverse records made by both soldiers and civilians documenting every aspect of life during the war. The phenomenon of photographic and video documentation made by military drones or firearm optics also opens onto a new view of wartime representation, channeling a gaze that bridges the human and the machine.

In her Montage series, composed of large-scale, landscape-oriented paintings, Khomenko focuses on video footage recorded by random witnesses or participants in hostilities that were shared on social media during Russia’s full-scale invasion. In these semi-abstract compositions, the artist selects frames from videos that ultimately last but a few seconds, and then arranges them into a sequential timeline that reveals only the beginning and end of the story. The resulting images exist in the tense space between representation and abstraction, yielding an ambiguity that is not invented but directly extracted from lived reality.

In her research, the artist adopts the methodology of war-crimes investigators, watching graphic content frame by frame. In turn, Khomenko employs a sharp analytical lens that reads wartime documentation visually rather than forensically. The sheer variety of images allows her to construct a dialogue between historical wars and recent battles by referencing battle paintings produced under the conditions of postwar socialist realism and the contemporary realities of cyberwar.

The final series presented in the exhibition is based on footage taken from surveillance and combat drones. Due to the low resolution of the drone’s cameras, dynamic disposal, and vertical perspective, the captured figures are abstracted, evoking futurist sculptures or fantastic insects.

Lesia Khomenko is a multidisciplinary artist who reconsiders the role of painting: she deconstructs narrative images and transforms paintings into objects, installations, performances, or videos.

Lesia Khomenko (b. 1980 in Kyiv, Ukraine), graduated National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in 2004. She is a co-founder and member of the R.E.P. group (since 2004) and of the curatorial group Hudrada (since 2008) in Ukraine. She was on the shortlist for the Pinchuk Art Prize (2009, 2011, and 2013); together with the R.E.P. group, for the Future Generations Art Prize, founded by the Pinchuk Art Centre (2012); and the Kazimir Malevich Artist Award (2012 and 2016).

Khomenkoʼs works have been shown in solo and group exhibitions, among others at the Ukrainian Museum in New York (US); Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle (NL), Albertinum, Dresden (DE); Collateral Event of the 59th International Art Exhibition the Venice Biennial, Venice (IT); the European Parliament (BE); Museum Folkwang (DE); Fridman Gallery, NYC (US), Voloshyn Gallery, Miami (US).

Her works are in public collections including M HKA (BEL), Ludwig Museum (HU), Art Collection Telecom (DE), Kupferstich-Kabinett (DE), the Ukrainian Museum (USA), Zuzeum Art Centre (Latvia), Mystetskyi Arsenal (UA), Maidan Museum (UA), Pinchuk Art Centre (UA).

She participated in residencies at the Oasis Pointe Residency, Miami, FL, USA (2022-2023), the Martha MOCA Artist Residency, NJ, USA (2022), the Emergency Residency at Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland (2022), the Working Room, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine (curated and participated) (2022), the Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Salzburg, Austria (2021), LIA (Leipzig International Art), Leipzig, Germany (2008).

Khomenko’s works have been covered and reviewed by The New York Times, The Brooklyn Rail, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Art Newspaper, and Frieze, among others. She has taken part in panels and public talks at the MoMA, NY, NY (2022), the Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT (2022), the James Gallery at CUNY, NY (2023), the Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL (2023), the Scandinavia House, NY, NY (2023).

She currently lives in New York City, NY, USA.

Registration is required. Suggested donation is $20