Intervention 2: PRAY FOR UKRAINE

                                         

                                                             "PRAY FOR UKRAINE " pt. 1                                        

                                                          "PRAY FOR UKRAINE " pt. 2

                    I designed a tote bag with the Ukrainian flag and the words "PRAY FOR UKRAINE" to bring awareness to what is happening in Ukraine. Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Overnight, Przemyśl, one of the oldest cities in southeastern Poland, became a point of refuge for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who arrived by bus and train with their hurriedly packed bags. Many had to find safety quickly to escape the Russian bomb and artillery fire. In addition, the war has sent a wave of more than 1 million refugees to neighboring countries. 

 

                     The war in Ukraine is resulting in the tragic loss of life and human suffering and causing massive damage to Ukraine's physical infrastructure. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified 953 civilian deaths (78 were children) during Russia's military attack on Ukraine as of March 21, 2022. Furthermore, 1,557 people were reported to have been injured. These deaths may have occurred directly – collateral damage to the fighting – but war affects people's health beyond bullets and bombs. Many war survivors develop PTSD, depression, anxiety-causing mental health issues. The war against Ukraine is inhuman, ruthless, and dangerous for the innocent people that live in Ukraine that have nothing to do with the war; thousands of civilians are being affected by the senseless acts of war. 

 

                       I was inspired to make a wearable object to act as protest art by many of the artists in "The interventionists, Chapter 3: Ready to Wear". The Yomango Bag gave me the inspiration to create a tote bag that I can wear outside and at the same time protest for a cause. I could wear it in a public space; the bright blue and yellow colored flag along with the powerful words "PRAY FOR UKRAINE" will catch people's attention and think about what is going on in Ukraine. Also, instead of using the word "Ukraine," I decided to paint the Ukrainian flag to make it more creative and eye-catching. "[The NAACP] had only a moment to capture the attention of drivers or walkers, so the design needed to be as big, bold, and simple as possible" (Siegler, Chapter 5: Civil Rights). When making protest art, it must catch people's attention to bring awareness to the issue, so I chose to paint bold black letters on my tote bag. "I began to understand how intimately art and activism could work together to produce a collective voice and shared community" (Drew, This What I Know About Art, 2020). Creating art and combining it with activism makes a more significant impact on others. It needs to be eye-catching, which is why incorporating art in a pretest plays a big role. Protest art allows for immense creativity and is capable of bringing a lot of added attention to any given activity.