In the artist's own words: "Each collage is born from a feeling or a word that crossed my mind when seeing photos of the war in Ukraine. The photo of this wounded woman made headlines in most of our French newspapers. It becames one the iconic pictures of the early hours and days of the Russian invasion. This photo reminded me of pain and challenge: "Look at what I'm going through, you are only a spectator of my suffering". I chose the sweet painting by Vermeer, nicknamed "the Mona Lisa of the North" to offer my Mona Lisa of the East. I dressed her wounds with the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The black background of the painting highlights the pallor of his face and reinforces the feeling of loneliness and annihilation one feels in times of war. Her smile, barely perceptible, announces the resilience of a nation. painting : Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earing photo : I didn't find the name of the photofraph...The woman seems to be "Helena", a teacher bloodied and bandaged after she was badly injured during a Russian bombardment of the northern Ukraine city of Chuhuiv."