Klone Yourself, born in 1983 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, currently lives and works in Tel Aviv, Israel. Influenced by his childhood emigration from Ukraine to Israel, Klone’s initial street art reflected topics which related to being part of a diaspora, cultural identity, and finding one’s true home. The urban tradition of street art allowed him to take ownership of his surroundings and to make an often hostile and alienating environment more familiar.

As his works expanded to exhibitions and murals throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, Klone began to integrate more complex traditions of art history and aimed to broaden his political commentary by shifting the focus of his work away from himself and more towards others and their relationships with the concept of ‘home’.

Using characters, symbols, and regional iconography, Klone’s work borrows from existing linguistic traditions in the hope of providing a common language. Each installation and drawing attempts to create an environment that will connect with the observer’s primal feelings, placing him or her as part of the setting and context of the work.

The talk is part of the public programme of the ‘Wall Elements’ exhibition on view at Manege until August 26, 2018. Free entry.

The event is in partnership with the Consulate General of Israel in St. Petersburg.