Nothing Will
Tear Us Apart
WE BAD x Fine Acts
When we at Fine Acts reached out to our friends at Kyiv-based artist duo WE BAD with an invitation to collaborate on a mural project in Ukraine that sends a message of strength and hope, they had a better idea.
Separated by the ongoing conflict, the artists – Lera Sxemka and Maxim Pavlyuk – wanted to keep working together, and suggested creating two murals – one in each country where they resided at that time.
Maxim created his mural on the walls of a bombed kindergarten in the Ozero village, in the Kyiv region, while Lera made her piece on a local government building in the center of Košice, Slovakia.
Nothing could tear those two apart. Nothing can tear this nation apart.
This is WE BAD’s story.
Being Ukraine is a series of art projects focusing on the immense strength, resilience, and courage of Ukrainian people. Read more about the initiative.
We are Lera and Maxim – an artist duo, based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Since 2015 we’ve been working together as the WE BAD studio.
On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. Since that evil morning everything has turned upside down and our lives are now on hold.
All images © 2022 WE BAD x Fine Acts
To escape the missiles and bombs, we left Kyiv. And after two weeks, we made a very painful decision: Lera would go to a safe place abroad, to continue working, and Maxim would come back to Kyiv, to be helpful there.
—
—
We broke apart, the same as thousands of families around the country. The war continues to take lives, destroying everything that we love.
But good always triumphs over evil. We’ve always done everything together – and although we are divided by a thousand kilometers, it was crucial to us to continue creating together.
This project is for everyone who is far away from their families, homes and loved ones.
We are a brave nation and we know for sure that Ukraine will win, and these dark times will end.
Based in Kyiv, Ukraine, WE BAD is a creative duo, consisting of Lera Sxemka (29) and Maxim Pavlyuk (29). They work at the intersection of illustration and art since 2015, creating works ranging from murals and animation to books, set designs and ads.
Lera and Maxim are urban space explorers who create provocative plastic forms and characters. They deconstruct and rethink their classical academic background in a kind of easy-lazy style that can be compared to lo-fi music where the imperfections of performance are a conscious choice of the author.
WE BAD's works are a mix of elements, subjects, and characters from the surrounding world and the internet. The unusual combination of these forms creates an ironic kind of world that pulls you towards different interpretations.
For WE BAD, it’s not only important to play with the characters and forms, but also to explore the evolution of social challenges, inequalities, and the limits of access to and belonging in public space. To show it in a more expressive way, they intentionally use bright, carefree, and naive colors.
Clients: Puma, OSNOVY publishing, Molodist festival, Silpo, 1plus1 tv channel, ua:1 tv channel.
Exhibitions: “Let us in”, Paris, 2019; ARTsavedLIFE, Kyiv, 2020