Veronika Hapchenko

Veronika Hapchenko combines painting and object making to investigate the complex interplay between Russian philosophy, Soviet cultural tropes, and the intersection of esotericism, politics, and militarism. Drawing from philosophical texts, historiography, and oral histories, her work traces the myths and taboos surrounding revolutionary figures and the occult influences embedded in their lives and creative output. Her airbrushed canvases explore themes of collective consciousness and the presence of the occult within societal narratives. A recurring subject is the Soviet engineer—an emblem of human mastery over nature and a symbolic figure navigating the boundaries between the working class and intelligentsia. Through this lens, Hapchenko examines how cultural memory intertwines with political ideology. By juxtaposing tangible, secular human mechanisms with esoteric and spiritual forces, her work probes the tension between humanity’s selective engagement with the natural world and the mystical dimensions that linger beneath the surface. ...