A gay artist has accused Russian socialite Dasha Zhukova of “glamourising” racism after she was photographed posing on a chair shaped like a half-naked black woman.
Alexander Kargaltsev was so incensed by the image published by online magazine Buro 247, he produced his own version featuring a naked black man using a nude white man as a “chair”.
Kargaltsev described Zhukova’s decision to be photographed on the Allen Jones-inspired chair as “appalling and unacceptable” and told OutThere magazine why he felt so compelled to respond.
Alexander Kargaltsev created this image in response to the picture of Dasha Zhukova
He explained: “I was forced to flee my native Russia because of ubiquitous homophobia and xenophobia, and it deeply saddens me to see that racism is now being glamorised and thus made not only acceptable but trendy by the likes of Ms Zhukova.
"My own composition reverses the visual injustice and offense perpetrated by that editorial and in a way restores the equality of genders, races, and sexual orientations.
"Sadly, I understand very well that my work will be seen by most Russians as provocative and inappropriate, while that repulsive image will hardly make anyone over there shake their head.”
This was the original photo accompanying the interview in Buro 247
With what appeared to be spectacularly poor timing, Buro 247 published its interview with Zhukova on Martin Luther King Day, an American holiday commemorating the slain civil rights leader.
Amid accusations of racism and heavy criticism, the magazine cropped the image so the chair is no longer visible and posted an apology to its Facebook page.
Zhukova herself issued an apology via the Moscow Times, claiming the picture had been published "completely out of context" and stating: “I utterly abhor racism.”
What do you think of Kargaltsev’s retort?