Czech graffiti artist depicts Ukrainian president as a Star Wars hero

A graffiti artist in Ústí nad Labem has unveiled a mural depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a Star Wars hero, escaping gunfire by robots with the Z letter on a motorbike.

Artist Lukáš Brožovský who signs his works "Zadek" (translated as 'Bum' in English) told ČTK Wednesday that he wants to stir up public interest in current affairs and make people smile.

The artist often uses graffiti to comment on current events.

"I think it is good to open people's eyes. In Ústí, I see people go to work and home like robots without noticing what is happening around them. I make some stuff for fun or to examine a situation. I enjoy conducting my own sociological experiments and seeing what it provokes in people," the artist said.

Brožovský worked on the wall painting between two Usti quarters for ten hours. In it, he likens the war to the iconic series of sci-fi films by George Lucas.

"It came to my mind in the context of Zelensky's comment, saying that he does not want to go to exile, but rather needs weapons. I liked it because it was unexpected that the guy would take such heroic actions," Brožovskýsaid, drawing a particular comparison with "Episode 6: Return of the Jedi," in which the imperial Death Star attacks, but the attacked manage to defend themselves.

While Brožovský said the painting is a sort of escape into fantasy, he believes the reality is revealed in metaphor as well.

Graffiti protests against the Russian war have been in the spotlight recently. On Tuesday, several billboards appeared across Prague with the word "war" in Russian painted over them.

While some choose to express their outrage with the ongoing Russian invasion through graffiti paintings or drawings over ads, others opt for legal support of Ukraine through art.

One of such projects is Make Art Not War. The initiative encourages Czech and foreign artists to express their attitudes toward the ongoing war through designing a poster.

Proceeds from the sale of these posters will go to the SOS Ukraine collection set up by People in Need.