The Star of David is depicted in thousands of mirror pieces in Ruslan Kolmykov's most recent installation, Source, which is located at a Jewish cemetery in Kalisz, Poland. His objective is to foster better links between Kalisz's Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian communities.
Ukrainian Artist Creates Mirror Mandala At Jewish Cemetery In Poland
- By EPA-EFE
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Ruslan Kolmykov places small shards of broken mirrors onto a wall at a Jewish cemetery in Kalisz, Poland, on January 2. He says the message of his latest work, titled Source, is peace, love, and harmony.
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Kolmykov says he chose the Jewish cemetery in Kalisz to foster better relations between the town's Polish, Jewish, and Ukrainian communities.
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Shards of mirrors await their placement on a table at the site. Kolmykov fled to Poland after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Kolmykov says he wanted to maintain the dignity of the cemetery by creating a pattern that would respect Jewish culture and its history. Established in 1920, the cemetery survived the destruction that befell many Jewish sites during the Holocaust.
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Kolmykov poses for a photo next to the mandala.
During World War II, the cemetery was a place of mass executions of Jews from the surrounding area.
During World War II, the cemetery was a place of mass executions of Jews from the surrounding area.
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Kolmykov spent over a month creating the installation by using mirrors from a furniture factory that were cut into pieces before being glued onto the 50-square-meter fence.
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By working with colored glass, Kolmykov is able to insert hidden images, such as 12 male figures who dance around a fire. He says it provides them with warmth, energy, knowledge, and unity.
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Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle." The symbol is used in various spiritual traditions.