05/02/2026
Righton
Sometimes a painting says exactly what needs to be said.
This is Make Art Not War by London-based artist Viv Rus — a small oil on canvas, just 20 x 20 cm, that carries a message considerably larger than its dimensions suggest. The figure gazes upward with a steadiness that reads less like defiance and more like resolve. Paintbrushes tucked into a military helmet. The tools of creation where the tools of destruction would normally sit.
Rus works at the intersection of figurative painting, myth, and pop — described in their own words as "born in paint, living in shadows." The painting style nods to early 20th century portraiture, all confident brushwork and warm flesh tones, but the message is entirely of this moment.
Art has always been humanity's answer to its worst impulses. It always will be. ❤️
