Oleg Tistol, series Ai-Petri

In his series Ai-Petri, Oleg Tistol transforms a natural landmark into a symbol of national dignity and cultural resistance, into an aesthetically cohesive self-being. Created during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the series is not just an artistic statement but a gesture of personal and collective resistance.

The mountain Ai-Petri is not just a landscape. It appears in Tistol’s vision as an embodiment of memory, an embodiment of symbols, an embodiment of hope. Its visual constancy is at odds with political and social turbulence permeating the present-day Ukrainian life. Vibrant colors, decorative elements and laconic elegance create an idealized space on the brink between reality and metaphors.

The series Ai-Petri currently comprises over 350 paintings created in 2022–2024. The earliest ones followed a slightly different format, but the series eventually developed a perfect visual language and systematic structure. In each work, the mountain presents a new face while remaining recognizable as a canonical symbol. Variations in color and ornaments underscore the immutable deep meaning that brings together the artist’s personal intuition and the nation’s collective memory.

In the series, Tistol not just documents but also redefines time. Using the language of signs and colors, the artist addresses the crucial importance of preserving national customs, territory and identity.

Vitalii Adlermann