Freed from Hamas captivity, former hostage tells his story through his paintings
May 28, 2025
Taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Andrei Kozlov is pouring his experience in captivity onto canvas in an exhibition of paintings. The 28-year-old Russian-born Kozlov was rescued by Israeli Defense Forces last June after about eight months as a hostage. He’s at work in New York on a series of mostly acrylic depictions of his capture, captivity and release that he hopes to show this summer. The paintings focus on dark moments of Kozlov’s life and their colors frequently reflect that. But overjoyed by his freedom, the former hostage says his art is “about hope.”
