EtchingRoom1 is the artistic group founded in 2016 by two graphic artists Kristina Yarosh and Anna Khodkova in Kyiv, Ukraine. Artists work in etching technique and create mosaics and installations.
Anna Khodkova was born in 1990. She graduated from the State Art School “Taras Shevchenko” in 2008 and from national Academy of of Fine Arts and Architecture in 2016. She works with techniques of etching, silkscreen, mosaics.
Kristina Yarosh was born in 1994 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Lives and works in Kyiv, Ukraine. Studying at the National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” at Publishing and Printing Faculty (department of graphics). Creates works in the technique of etching, lithography, mosaics.
In our work we address the culture of consumption and extraction that still prevails. Even though many communities are trying to rise awareness on imminent irreparable damage to climate and ongoing subjugation of the most vulnerable populations to slave labor in hazardous conditions, production and consumption levels are only becoming higher. Turning once again to this topic we ask why owning a lot of things is catered as ultimate success and meaningful connection to the environment, kindness and community building are not prioritized? Capitalism pushes us to believe in the idea of exponential growth, though we already can see the looming painful consequences of such mindset. We want to look closely at schemes and methods of luring people into consumption that are mainly based on lovelessness, negation and perpetual feeling of insufficiency. We believe that building caring and strong ties between communities worldwide instead of consuming can really make a difference, but it is impossible without certain changes to our lifestyles.