KUZMA SKRYABIN (1968–2015)

A photo collage dedicated to Kuzma Skryabin — Andriy Kuzmenko, the Ukrainian musician, songwriter and founder of the band “Skryabin.” The composition brings together a portrait of the musician, a photocopy of his handwritten text and the translated quotation “Don’t forget to call your true friends,” creating an intimate image centred on friendship, memory and enduring human connection.

At the heart of the work is a photocopy of part of the handwritten text for the song “Letter to a Friend.” Kuzma addresses an old friend and returns to memories of youth: conversations lasting until morning, old cassette tapes, worn jeans, their hometown and friends they once dreamed of gathering together again. Everyday details become a portrait of a generation, while a personal message develops into a reflection on passing time and the people one should not lose.

The portrait and facsimile reproduction of the manuscript present two dimensions of Kuzma Skryabin: the public figure of the musician and the personal voice of the songwriter. The quotation “Don’t forget to call your true friends” distils the emotional theme of the composition into a single phrase. Importantly, the handwritten material incorporated into the work is a photocopy, not an original manuscript or autograph by Andriy Kuzmenko.

Memorial in character, the photo collage approaches Kuzma Skryabin’s creative legacy through his words, image and songwriting. The combination of portrait, quotation and photocopied manuscript creates a considered collectible object for admirers of Ukrainian music and the work of “Skryabin.”