PHOTO GALLERY: Explore the works of street artist ChemiS

The Czech-based artist is now best known for his mural of a Ukrainian child in Nusle, but he has works abroad as well.

Raymond Johnston

Written by Raymond Johnston Published on 30.03.2023 13:00:00 (updated on 14.07.2023) Reading time: 3 minutes

ChemiS is the handle of street artist Dmitriy Proshkin, a Kazakh-born artist who now lives in Prague. His powerful murals can be seen not only across Prague and Czechia but throughout the world. In the Czech capital, his two most famous works speak to the conflict in Ukraine. We've rounded up some of ChemiS's key works and noted where you can spot them.

Smiřicky Palace in Malostranské náměstí

Singing Ukrainian girl on the Czech Parliament building. Photo: Raymond Johnston
Singing Ukrainian girl on the Czech Parliament building. Photo: Raymond Johnston

The standing cutout is currently on the balcony of the Smiřicky Palace in Malostranské náměstí, but see it soon as it is a temporary installation. “This painting represents that determination and belief that together we can overcome anything! Glory to Ukraine!” the artist said on Instagram.

A Ukrainian Child in Nusle Mojmírova Street

chemiS' mural depicting a Ukrainian child sheltering under a flag. Photo: Raymond Johnston.
ChemiS's mural depicting a Ukrainian child sheltering under a flag. Photo: Raymond Johnston

Unveiled a year ago on Mojmírova Street in Prague 4, the artist said of this mural, depicting a girl under a Ukrainian flag surrounded by toys. "Ukraine is now fighting to protect their future and their freedom, as well as ours." He went on to say, "As a father of two, I cannot imagine the helplessness, pain, and fear that ordinary people experience."

After Us, the Deluge Myselbek Shopping Gallery in Prague

'After Us, the Deluge' by ChemiS. Photo: Raymond Johnston
'After Us, the Deluge' by ChemiS. Photo: Raymond Johnston

FEATURED EMPLOYERS

Another new work called “After Us, the Deluge” recently made its debut in the Myselbek Shopping Gallery in Prague and will be there until the end of September. The image of a woman trying to stay afloat by balancing tells us that the world has to be preserved for generations to come.

Untitled Modřany

In Prague's Modřany district, you can find an optical illusion-style mural on the side of a commercial building that sells plastic windows. The image shows a woman in an abandoned building, with a devastated landscape outside. On Instagram, he said it was about climate change.

He created a tearful Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk on the side of the small service building near the Faculty of Science of the Palacký University in Olomouc. It was painted in 2018 for a street art festival that coincided with the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia.

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk crying Palacký University in Olomouc

Mural of a crying Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Photo: Facebook, ChemiS
Mural of a crying Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Photo: Facebook, ChemiS

When the painting was new, he said it was intended to spark discussion. "The opportunity to speak freely and to discuss with each other is fundamental to democracy. What our country became and where it is directed, among other things, is reflected by the representatives we elect, including the values they hold," he said.

Untitled Pilsen

Mural in Plzeň. Photo via Twitter @Chemisgraffitti
Mural in Plzeň. Photo via Twitter @Chemisgraffitti

A sleeping child with a teddy bear appeared on the side of a dilapidated building in Pilsen in June 2022. It was part of the international street art festival WALLZ. The building was used for housing low-income Romani families.

Often, these buildings are the only possible place that provides people a home, a refuge, and safety. It’s harder to get rid of the stigma when you live in such a place," he said on Instagram.

Untitled Karlovo náměstí metro station

Another one of his Prague projects can no longer be seen. He participated in a project by the group Artwise in 2020 with a picture of Jesus carrying his cross among people looking at their mobile phones. The image was in the Karlovo náměstí metro station, along with works by other artists. A second work from the same show depicts Jesus as a baby, with modern-day impoverished people as visitors coming to see him.

Untitled Aruba

Social misery Helsinki

He also travels frequently to Aruba and paints murals there as well. He posted a picture of the Dutch royal family in front of one of his images about two months ago. The painting, which was created in 2017, depicts artist and musician Mo Mohamed, who can also be seen on the far right talking to the royal family in the below image.

Other international works include a 2020 mural in Helsinki about social media. "Our generation and the generation of children we raise often get stuck in the social internet bubble in which we build our image that we would like to live. This world builds on a superficial presentation without real values, putting trends in clothing, cosmetics, expensive restaurants, holidays and electronics in the forefront," he said.

To see more works by ChemiS visit the artist's website.

Did you like this article?

Would you like us to share your article with our audience? Find out more