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Kadyrova Zhanna
Discover the artist and the work through the video at the link.
In the work “Diamond,” Zhanna Kadyrova mimics the form of a precious gemstone but crafts it from tile, cement, and mounting foam — materials frequently used in her artistic practice.
Humanity has bestowed immense significance upon the diamond, elevating it to the highest “totemic” status in the world of luxury, fueling the pursuit of it by seekers — both gemstone hunters and elites of past centuries.
Through this, the artist highlights the contrast between the material’s intrinsic value, its appearance, and its acquired worth. Yet, at its core, a diamond is merely a stone — one that requires processing, human imagination, and craftsmanship to transform it into an object of desire and assign it weight in the contemporary world.
Stepping out of the shadow of imposed context, this “Diamond” does not exist as a symbol of wealth but rather as a question to the viewer: What is truly valuable?
Zhanna Kadyrova was born in 1981 in Brovary, Kyiv region. She lives and works in Kyiv.
She graduated from the Taras Shevchenko State Art School.
She has received the Taras Shevchenko Prize (2025), the Kazimir Malevich Art Prize, the Sergey Kuryokhin Prize for Contemporary Art (Public Art), and the Grand Prize of the Kyiv Sculpture Project festival (all in 2012), as well as the Special Prize of the PinchukArtCentre (2011).
Her works have been exhibited worldwide, including at the 55th Venice Biennale and Palais de Tokyo in Paris (2013).
She collaborates with GALLERIA CONTINUA (San Gimignano / Beijing / Le Moulin / Habana).
Zhanna is a sculptor and artist who works in the style of site-specific art, making objects, installations, mosaics, and sculptures. One of her key subjects in her art is urbanization, which is concerned with the transformation of the city’s look. Among Ukrainian critics, Kadyrova was one of the first to experiment with public urban space. According to the artist, this allows continual interaction with the city via research. Her designs are frequently fundamentally dependent on the external world, which includes both physical space and social context.
Solo Exhibitions
2023
“Palianytsia”, Castello 2145, Venice (Italy)
“Palianytsia”, König Galerie, Berlin (Germany)
Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2022, Tokamachi (Japan)
“Island”, Peyrassol Art Centre, Commanderie de Peyrassol (France)
2022
“Palianytsia”, Berezovo Village, Zakarpattia Oblast (Ukraine)
2021
“Market- Extra Dolce”, Rhinoceros Gallery, Fondazione Alda Fendi Esperimenti, Rome (Italy)
“Landmarks”, Una Boccata d’Arte, Fondazione Elpis and Galleria Continua, Tolfa, Lazio (Italy)
2020
“(Almost) Involuntary Sculptures, with Jiří Kovanda”, Zahorian & Van Espen Gallery, Bratislava (Slovakia)
“It was forbidden to swim in the water area of the plant”, Invogue gallery, Odessa (Ukraine)
“Market”, site specific performance and installation, Ukrainian Institute, New York (USA)
“Market”, site-specific performance, Armory Show, New York (USA)