Aleksey Kislow, Ukrainian Street Artist, Is Back In Miami

Aleksey Kislow is a surrealist street artist who was born in Kiev. He now lives in Sevastopol in Crimea and is experiencing the chaos firsthand. A month ago he was Ukrainian, now, he is Russian. Kislow was last here in December for Art Basel to participate in a large, international street artist project. While here, he also painted multiple murals on the walls of the new Miami Ad School location in Wynwood on 29th Street and 6th Avenue.

His work is somewhat whimsical in nature adding elements of his surroundings and now, of the tension he is experiencing. He is currently in the United States to paint another mural at the Wynwood location of Miami Ad School then he will head to Brooklyn to adorn an inside wall at our school in New York. When Pippa Seichrist, Co-founder and president of Miami Ad School, spoke to him recently he said, “Miami is beautiful and happy but in my country, I do not know what I will return to. Part of my family wants to be Russian but other family and friends want to remain Ukrainian.”

Soon he will return to his wife and baby in Crimea. With his country on the brink of civil war, he is unsure when he will be able to travel again. It is difficult to move freely and cross into the Ukraine. He feels very lucky he was able to make this long planned trip back to Miami because they stop people on trains and taxis to send them back to Crimea. To look at his work of mythical birds with human heads and trees that have faces with soulful eyes, it is surprising to know of the turmoil he is a part of but look at the details and you can get a glimpse of what he calls “the conflict in his head.”

Mural done while Kislow was in Miami at the new Wynwood location of Miami Ad School in December 2013.