Artist Zoya Cherkassky, born in Kyiv and a longtime resident of Israel, has relocated to Shelter Island after fleeing to Berlin following the October 7, 2023 attacks. She discovered the island during a stay with her gallerists from Fort Gansevoort and now has a permanent studio there. Cherkassky, known for politically charged works, recently created a series of colored pencil drawings responding to the Hamas attacks, which were exhibited at the Jewish Museum in New York as "October 7th, 2023." Her latest Shelter Island paintings mark a dramatic shift toward tranquil landscapes and sunsets.
This article matters because it highlights how a prominent political artist is using her practice to process trauma and find healing after experiencing war and displacement. Cherkassky's move from depicting atrocities—including the October 7 attacks and the Huwara pogrom—to serene plein air landscapes represents a significant personal and artistic transformation. It also underscores the role of place and refuge in an artist's creative evolution, and the ongoing impact of geopolitical conflict on contemporary art production.