Woman in a leotard doing a handstand, Borodyanka
By Banksy, 2022
This striking piece of street art appeared in Borodyanka, Ukraine, a town heavily damaged during the 2022 Russian invasion. Created by the elusive British artist Banksy, it shows a gymnast performing a handstand on the rubble of a destroyed building. The figure is rendered in Banksy's signature stenciled style, a stark silhouette against the war-torn concrete and crumbling plaster.
The gymnast's graceful pose stands in powerful contrast to the devastation surrounding her, transforming ruins into an impromptu stage. Ukraine has a proud tradition of producing world-class gymnasts, and this artwork seems to celebrate that resilience and strength even in the darkest times. Banksy created several works in Ukrainian towns affected by the war, using art to draw international attention to the human cost of conflict while honoring the spirit of people rebuilding their lives.
The weathered walls, exposed rebar, and fractured architecture become part of the composition itself. What might have been just another anonymous casualty of war becomes a canvas for defiance, beauty emerging from destruction in the most unexpected way.