Artist Spotlight - Andrej Babenko
Andrej Babenko Atelier Tervuren
Biography
Andrej Babenko is a contemporary Belgian visual artist of Ukrainian descent whose influence extends beyond traditional gallery spaces into the digital and public sphere. He operates as a contemporary art influencer by combining expressive visual art with an active presence on social media platforms, where he shares his work, ideas and performances with an international audience. Babenko’s artistic language is instantly recognisable. He blends classical oil painting techniques with elements of punk, graffiti, street art, and Ukrainian folklore, creating monumental, emotionally charged works often described as a “volcano of emotion.” His themes address societal hypocrisy, alienation, existential struggle, and hope, making his work deeply relatable in the context of contemporary global challenges.
Make borscht not war, 60 x 60 cm, oil paint on canvas + textile, 2021, Andrej Babenko
His influence is also cultural and political. As with figures such as Banksy, his influence extends far beyond the traditional art world, shaping cultural discourse on a wider scale. Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, his work has become a powerful visual testimony of conflict, resilience, and freedom. Notably, his exhibition at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to commemorate 1000 days of war in Ukraine positioned him as a significant artistic voice within European political and cultural discourse. He also participated in Art Armor, a Ukrainian art project supported by President Zelenskyi and showcased in the War Museum in Kyiv and S.M.A.K. Ghent. Philippe Van Cauteren, the artistic director of S.M.A.K. commended Babenko for the outstanding quality of the work, rooted in solid academic foundation and characterised by meticulous attention to detail, a relentless approach to excellence, surgical precision in execution, and a thoughtful translation into a contemporary context. He furthermore expressed his gratitude for the collaboration between Babenko and Kris Martin on Art Armor, as ‘they generated an artwork, a diptych, a dialogue, a meeting between an object which is very charged and loaded and which represents a direct daily reality, and an object which brings us back to mythological, biblical, historical times. And by merging this, by mixing these two things together, they generate an artwork which is a form of hope, which is a form of future for a country as Ukraine’.
UA22022022/Fata Morgana, oil and spray paint on canvas, 650 x 210 cm, 2022, Andrej Babenko
Babenko’s work is referred to in the text Contribution to Cultural Diplomacy of Ukraine: Challenges and Achievements in Wartime, taken up in the National Library of Ukraine (Yaroslaw the Wise). In 2025, his work received further institutional recognition when it was taken up for display in the cabinet of the European Commissioner for Culture, who also visited Babenko in his studio.
Babenko’s career includes exhibitions at major Belgian institutions such as S.M.A.K. (Ghent), M HKA (Antwerp), and Museum Dr. Guislain (Ghent), as well as international exposure and uptake in global private collections. His collaborations with musicians, thinkers, and cultural institutions further reinforce his role as a connector between art, society, and geopolitics. He has collaborated with, among others, Kris Martin, Mauro Pawlowski, Dirk De Wachter and Aleksey Gorbunov. He has met Eugene Hütz - lead singer of Gogol Bordello and born in the same city as Babenko – who has acquired a painting of Babenko for display in his office in New York.
David and Goliath, spray paint on armor plate, stone with certificate of authenticity, 2023, Andrej Babenko
Babenko has met with Glenn Micallef (European Commissioner for Culture, also with a work of Babenko on display in his office), Mikola Tochytskyi (Ukrainian minister of Culture), Caroline Gennez (Flemish minister of Culture, who has praised Babenko for his strong societal and artistic commitment and expressed appreciation for the way he demands attention through his art for the war in Ukraine and its impact on people and culture) and Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary-General). Through fundraising and cultural initiatives, he helped raise more than €100,000 EUR for war victims in Ukraine.
Babenko is recognised as a significant figure in the Flemish visual arts landscape; he is listed in the Artist Database, the Belgian list of professional artists and heritage and has specifically featured in the Landschapstekening Kunsten 2025 published by Flanders Arts Institute.
Donbass drone, oil paint on canvas, 60 x 80 cm, 2024, Andrej Babenko
Babenko grew up in an environment permeated with Soviet propaganda. Socialist realism reigned: stately art depicting Soviet reality in its most heroic form to portray the ultimate dream of communism as the governing regime. During his early school years, Babenko kept a scrap book with the latest news from the newspapers Izvestij and Pravda. He spent his after-school hours in drawing school, where he was named the best painter, draftsman and lino-cutter. His artistic talent would continue to play a crucial role in his life: on the one hand to escape reality and find peace and quiet, on the other to decipher reality in all its complexity, in and through the creative process.
Using gouache he made wall newspapers in which he incorporated his experimental photos. The small bathroom of barely five square meters served as an improvised dark room: photos were developed between the bath, sink, toilet and washing machine. When someone needed to use the toilet, the folding table above the toilet was emptied to make room for more mundane needs.
Song for all the babushkas, acrylic paint, tempera, spray paint and marker on paper, 63 x 49 cm, 2010 - 2024, Andrej Babenko
In 1986 - Babenko was 12 years old - the unthinkable happened: nuclear reactor 4 of Chernobyl exploded. The entire family temporarily fled to North Ossetia. Despite the difficult circumstances, the stay proved to be a great source of inspiration for the artist. The family visited the work of the painter Aivasovsky, known for his seascapes and coastal scenes. In nature, Babenko marveled at the sight of vultures and rainbow bee-eaters, indulged in swimming in the ice-cold Terek and dreamt away at the view of the snowy peaks of the fairytale Kazbek and Elbrus. This new, exotic world is reflected in countless drawings in his sketchbook. Unfortunately, destruction was not far off here either. Tensions between the Ingush and Ossetians led to street fights and Babenko unexpectedly ended up in an offshoot of a fight. At the residential block he was staying in, he was not only targeted as a foreigner, but also considered deviant. With his sketchbook full of bird portraits and nature scenes, the artist personally experienced the fighters’ stance towards the sensitive outsider that was Babenko. Love for nature is a common thread through Babenko's life. Back in Kyiv, he found an injured gray heron and nursed it in his bedroom. He did the same with a nest of newborn squirrels. The artist marveled at the exotic fauna and flora in the Red Data Book, his favorite USSR nature encyclopedia documenting rare and endangered animal and plant species. During his migration to Belgium, Babenko lost his precious copy, but thanks to a Russian musician friend - Nik Rock N Roll - he managed to get his hands on a second-hand first edition of the book.
Butterfly wing fire extinguishers, oil spray paint on canvas, 77cm x 145 cm, 2016 - 2025, Andrej Babenko
From an early age, Babenko felt like an outsider. He fell short of the ideal of the sporty, spartan Soviet boy and preferred to indulge in daydreaming and drawing. It became more and more difficult to reconcile the imposed uniformity and hypocrisy of the Soviet ideal with his own otherness, sensitivity and interests. He radically withdrew from the Soviet idea and fled his parental home towards Saint Petersburg. In search of freedom and breathing space, he fed on the art and culture he came across. He became a member of a punkband, for which he wrote cynical poems based on the absurd theater of Daniil Harms. The band MVD would later grow into the renowned Brati Gadukini. At the same time, he continued to draw and paint and remained inspired by the classical school of Ukrainian and Russian painters and writers who in turn had their roots in Greek mythology: Ivan Kotliarevsky Eneida, Taras Shevchenko, Gogol Vii, Bulgakov and Malevich. After many wanderings in Russia and Ukraine, Babenko emigrated to Belgium, where he continued to develop his talents. He obtained a diploma as a free, artistic graphic designer, illustrator and painter and after his studies got selected from more than 150 candidates to start working at Opera Ballet Flanders.
The painter's dear wife, acrylic, oil & spray paint on canvas, 120 x 100 cm, 2009 - 2024, Andrej Babenko
Under the direction of intendant Aviel Cahn, Babenko left his mark on the visual material of the institution, ranging from banners and posters to program booklets and seasonal brochures. The artist guided the artistic process from concept to execution. For each production, he created one or more drawings or paintings based on the concept, on which the visual material was based. Several of those drawings are in the private collection of Aviel Cahn. Another one was the best-selling piece at a charity gala organised by the opera house. Driven by the success of his work at Opera Ballet Flanders, Babenko pursued his career as a full-time independent artist.
Armed with his keen powers of observation, his work denounced the hypocrisy of people and society and poked fun at the toxic positivity ideal. He depicted the alienation he experienced when he looked life's absurdity straight in the face. And always there was the feeling of being the eternal outsider: in his native country he did not live up to expectations, and also in his host country he remained the outsider. His work breathes deep humanity. In contrast with today’s desire for manufacturability, perfection, digitisation and artificial intelligence, Babenko pleads for more humanity. Personal experiences of the artist are elevated to universal feelings through his work. Look for the subtle elements that harbor the naive conviction of the existence of a better world, of hope and of a suffering that can be alleviated: a bird of paradise, a blue morpho or the floral motif on the wallpaper in his grandmother’s house.
Target, spray paint on painter’s palette, 30 x 40 cm, 2022. Down right private collection, Andrej Babenko
Over the years, Babenko experimented with a variety of materials, from watercolor, acrylic and oil paint over markers, gouache and Chinese ink to stencils and graffiti spray cans. His work evolved from the somewhat underground Folk Punk Art style in the early years to increasingly systematically substantiated and finished creations. During the corona period, he returned to his roots and invested in his further development by taking a year-long course in classical Russian drawing and painting techniques. He learned to prepare canvases after the old fashion, with gelatine and pigment. He made freehand drawings with graphite and charcoal, with interlocking primitive geometric figures, according to the golden ratio, in crossed or parallel perspectives. He developed them with pure pigment and pencil, searching for the light, the shadow and the mid tones. Tempera and watercolor powder added colour, and a rather unusual combination with glaze layers in oil paint brought depth. The whole was finished with graffiti spray cans as in his earlier years and a layer of varnish. The final result referred to the classic icons, in a contemporary rendition.
With the start of the war in Ukraine, Babenko, a restless soul by nature, again faced a major psychological challenge. With his entire family in and around Kyiv - and the impossibility of helping them - the artist was once again in the wrong place in the world. He started his largest work to date, a canvas of 6 by 2 meters. The fear for the safety of his family, the reports of fallen friends and the harrowing stories of former classmates about their flight with their children drove the artist to despair. He continued to work to give structure to his life and thus to survive. In the process he found comfort, and meaning in the meaningless. It was confirmed once again: painting helps him to escape reality and find peace and quiet, but also to face that reality razor-sharp. Art offers comfort, but above all it is also a silent, dear friend.
#кирил #смерть #kirill #death #icon #moskow #ukrainart #babenkobelgium #babenkobelgiumgraffiti #contemporaryart #babenkopainting #digitaal, Andrej Babenko
Artist Statement
I like to think of myself as a storyteller. My work reflects the trials and tribulations of my personal journey, while also engaging with broader, universal questions about the human condition and society. I try to show today what could be important tomorrow. Why does history seem to repeat itself? To whom does the country belong? Adherents of progress or the defenders of long-standing values? Lately, it gives me great concern to see how extreme nationalism and authoritarianism are on the rise again. Freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar of any democratic system. We should not take that for granted and should do everything in our power to preserve that. I absorb the world around me like a sponge, only to erupt like a volcano through my art. My work has been described as tangibly expressive—nothing ever stands still. There is a dynamic layering that invites close attention and introspection. I do not have a single, uniform style. I embrace diversity - in both technique and expression: combining classical painting traditions with grunge aesthetics and graffiti, fusing the folklore of Ukraine – my country of origin - with the conceptualism and intellectual inquiry of the West.
Everybody knows the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lie oil paint & spray paint2020 on canvas, 60 x 60 cm, - 2024, Andrej Babenko
This interplay of contrasts - old and new, East and West, raw and refined - forms a cohesive whole, much like life itself. An art curator once described my work in a way that deeply resonated with me - it captures the essence of how I view my own practice: “What is special about his work is the striking synergy of styles and cultures. He mixes spray cans and oil paint, combines punk with jazz, and creates wild compositions with classical patterns. He is East and West, past and present, and slightly ahead of time. One reads Jheronimus Bosch or Brueghel in his work, but above all a lot of Babenko. It should come as no surprise that he was always the best draftsman in class at school. Unraveling origin, identity and artistic influence by different political-cultural backgrounds can only lead to new insights, both for the artist and the viewer. Art is the most important school of learning; by looking closely one learns to understand ”.
Slide, oil and spray paint on canvas, 200 x 160 cm, 2015, Andrej Babenko
Overview
Andrej Babenko
Contemporary Visual Art / Cultural Diplomacy
Artistic production at the intersection of war, memory, humanitarian engagement, and public institutions
Andrej Babenko is a Ukrainian-born Belgian artist whose practice positions contemporary art as a tool for cultural diplomacy, public reflection, and social solidarity in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. His work transforms experiences and material remnants of conflict into artistic and symbolic forms, addressing themes of survival, faith, resistance, and collective memory.
His work has been exhibited at S.M.A.K. Ghent, NATO Headquarters, and the War Museum in Kyiv. His practice is recognised by European and Ukrainian institutions for its artistic quality and its contribution to cultural diplomacy and humanitarian engagement during wartime.
Since 2022, Babenko has initiated and contributed to multiple large-scale artistic and cultural projects responding directly to the war in Ukraine. These initiatives have combined artistic excellence with tangible social impact, resulting in over €100,000 raised for humanitarian support through exhibitions, publications, and fundraising actions.
His work demonstrates how contemporary art can:
• Function as a witness to historical events
• Operate as an instrument of cultural diplomacy
• Create meaningful engagement between institutions, artists, and civil society
• Maintain artistic autonomy while addressing urgent geopolitical realities
Soaring in a dance over the ordinary, oil and spraypaint on canvas, 250 x 200 cm, 2015, Andrej Babenko
Key Projects and Results
Art Armor:
• A long-term artistic project transforming authentic armor plates used by Ukrainian soldiers into artworks and icons.
• Exhibited at S.M.A.K. Ghent and in the War Museum (Kyiv) on Ukraine’s Unity Day at The Altar of Freedom, presenting also 27 icons painted on armor plates that saved soldiers’ lives.
• Recognised by European and Ukrainian institutions as a significant artistic response to wartime realities
• Exhibited at Vivtar Svobody
• Blessed by Metropolitan Epiphanius, Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine
• Serves as a bridge between contemporary art, religious heritage, and national identity
Fundraising & Cultural Initiatives:
• €100,000+ raised for Ukraine through:
• LAARNE Nadir 2022, Château de Laarne – charity pre-opening with leading international artists
• Postcards for Ukraine (Belgium, Sperling Gallery, Münich, Germany)
• Art Armor fundraising exhibitions
• Multiple independent benefit actions
These initiatives combined artistic production with direct humanitarian support, reinforcing the public value of the work.
Rage of Life, mixed media on paper, framed, 80 x 60 cm, 2009, Andrej Babenko
Institutional Recognition & Partnerships:
• Studio visit by European Commissioner Glenn Micallef (Audiovisual Service documentation, April 30, 2025)
• KIK-IRPA (Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage) – meeting with Mr. Tochytskyi, Ukrainian Minister of Culture
• Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Yaroslav Mudryi (Yaroslav the Wise) National library of Ukraine Information centre for culture and arts: (DZK 1/3, 2024) Cultural diplomacy of Ukraine: Challenges and achievements of wartime Significant events in the museum industry and the visual arts (review report based on press and Internet materials for 2022-2023) Page 18/40
• Cultural Front of Ukraine (operational information from Internet resources) 11/14/2023 Page 3/14, 13/14
Support for Ukraine in the World
In Ghent, Belgium, an art object was shown as part of the “ArtArmor” project
The Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent (SMAK Gent) exhibited an art object as part of the “ArtArmor” project, which uses bulletproof vest plates and shrapnel. The Embassy of Ukraine thanked the Belgian artist, existentialist Kris Martin, and the Belgian artist of Ukrainian origin Andrej Babenko for their creative approach and the efforts they made as part of this project to implement it. The artists depicted the biblical story of the battle of David and Goliath on the armor plate. The Embassy also thanked the museum director Philippe Van Cauteren for supporting the project, promoting Ukrainian art in Belgium, and solidarity with Ukraine in difficult times for our country. The funds received from the project will be used for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, namely the purchase of new protective equipment, demining equipment, as well as the rehabilitation of defenders of Ukraine.
More details: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-diaspora/3786619-u-belgijskomu-genti- pokazali-artobekt-v-ramkah-proektu-artarmor.html
• Flemish Minister Gennez. An excerpt from their email: “… We appreciate your strong social and artistic engagement. It is particularly valuable to see how, through your art, you draw attention to the war in Ukraine and its impact on people and culture.”
Public Visibility & Dissemination:
• Publications in institutional and international contexts
• Babenko’s work was selected for inclusion in the publication “Landschapstekening Kunsten 2025” by Flanders Art Institute, within the framework of the Arts Decree (no. 28 on pp. 316 and 319)
• Inclusion in 100 Artists of Europe (forthcoming publication)
• Media and institutional documentation (European Commission Audiovisual Service)
Exhibitions:
• Exhibitions in Belgium, Germany, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, UK, NYC NYC USA, Australia and Japan
• Invitation to NATO Headquarters to exhibit several works in the context of 1000 Days of War
• Ongoing project for exhibition at the European Commission’s Berlaymont Building with a focus on supporting culture, with a link to Ukraine and the war. The exhibition will be introduced by European Commissioner for Culture Glenn Micallef.
• The World Is Burning – a successful exhibition
Study, graphite powder on paper, 25 x 30 cm, 2021, Andrej Babenko
Links (Website, Instagram, etc)
Website: https://babenkobelgium.com
Portfolio: 2024-10-30-portfolio-babenko-selection-hq-nato-brussels-optimized-medium.pdf
Wartime landmark events portfolio: 2025-07-22_mini-portfolio-babenko.pdf
Portfolio AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1LNbgQpU0M
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babenkobelgium/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BabenkoBelgium/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@babenkobelgium
Belgian Artist Database: https://databank.kunsten.be/audiovisuele-en-beeldende-kunsten/kunstenaars-curatoren-essayisten-critici/ent:kwb:age:Q73319/andrej-babenko/
Saatchi: https://www.saatchiart.com/en-be/andrejbabenko
Studio visit by European Commissioner for Culture: Visit of Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner, to the studio of Andrej Babenko 30 April 2025 and Andrej Babenko (@babenkobelgium) • Instagram photos and videos
Landschapstekening Kunsten 2025 (p. 316): Landschapstekening-Kunstenpunt-2025-digitaal.pdf
Meeting with (former) Ukrainian minister of Culture: Audiovisual Service - Visit of Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukrainian Minister for Culture and Strategic Communications, to the European Commission and hand over of best practices paper on Culture heritage funds
Publication in 100 Artists of Europe:
https://www.facebook.com/share/14RqyKqAs4e/?
(book currently in print)
The SMAK Gent, the City Museum of Modern Art in Ghent, hosted an exhibition of an art object as part of the ArtArmor project. https://belgium.mfa.gov.ua/en/news/u-miskomu-muzeyi-suchasnogo-mistectva-v-genti-smak-gent-vidbulosya-eksponuvannya-art-obyektu-v-ramkah-proektu-artarmor
У бельгійському Генті показали артоб’єкт в рамках проєкту ArtArmor
An art object was shown in Ghent, Belgium, as part of the ArtArmor project
https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-diaspora/3786619-u-belgijskomu-genti-pokazali-artobekt-v-ramkah-proektu-artarmor.html
«Вівтар Свободи»: Митрополит Епіфаній освятив унікальні ікони на бронеплитах
"Altar of Freedom": Metropolitan Epiphanius consecrated unique icons on armor plates
https://mefodiy.org.ua/vivtar-svobody-mytropolyt-epifanij-osvyatyv-unikalni-ikony-na-broneplytah/
У Києві в День Соборності відкрили виставковий проєкт "Вівтар Свободи": (Фоторепортаж)
The exhibition project "Altar of Freedom" was opened in Kyiv on the Day of Unity: (Photo report)
Art Armore Andrej Babenko in War Museum Kiev:
https://share.google/KBV5PopuGdYlKcvbk
Watch "Opening of the "Altar of Freedom" exhibition at the War Museum" on
YouTube 5:02 - 5:07 min
english subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lagqDtk099U
українські субтитри:https://youtu.be/lagqDtk099U?si=K37tAMgZGYj_Mgj9
Andrej Babenko's art works at NATO Kyiv - mirroring exhibition at NATO HQ
Andrej Babenko NATO HQ ‘1000 days on war’
NATO marks 1,000 days of Russia’s war against Ukraine
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_230664.htm
UKR Mission to NATO
An exhibition by artist Andrej Babenko was opened at HQ NATO
HQ to mark 1000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion. His works portray the tragedies of war, the hope for victory, and the resilient spirit of the Ukrainian people.
https://x.com/UKRinNATO/status/1858961431846072574
NATO In Ukraine
The NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte and H.E. Nataliya Galibarenko, Head of Mission of Ukraine to NATO, presented a digital art piece by Tim Marrs and Belgian-based Ukrainian artist, Andrej Babenko to mark 1000days of war.
https://x.com/NATOinUkraine/status/1859259278973861983
A symbolic ceremony to mark 1000 days since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was held at NATO Headquarters.
19 November 2024 17:55
https://nato.mfa.gov.ua/en/news/u-shtab-kvartiri-nato-vidbulas-ceremoniya-priurochena-do-1000-dniv-z-pochatku-povnomasshtabnogo-rosijskogo-vtorgnennya-v-ukrayinu
SECRET things I found at NATO HQ
There is also an art work created by the Ukrainian artist Andrej Babenko dedicated to the 1000 days since the beginning of the full scale invasion 01:38-01:44
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCzk-LjRRxB/?igsh=MWJ0MHZyeHlydjJjYw==
Exactly a week ago, we marked the 1000days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and of Ukraine’s heroic resistance.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mdohabesancenot_1000days-nato-activity-7267077144961282048-MEHa?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android
Kiss his ring, pure pigment powder & oil, canvas on panel, 27 x 31 cm, Andrej Babenko
