A full-scale war for Ukraine’s independence is ongoing, and while the military is fighting for territorial integrity, artists are using art to capture the history of the present on canvas.
This year, artists from Donetsk Oblast, both young and experienced masters of the brush, have joined forces around artistic projects.
At the regional exhibition «East: Level of Freedom» at the Museum of Arts of Prykarpattia in Ivano-Frankivsk, members of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine Serhiy Smetankin, Serhiy Sadchikov, Oksana Hnatyshyn, Volodymyr Radkovsky, Volodymyr Baybara, Andriy Kutana, and other masters of painting and graphic arts, teachers of art schools and studios, presented the creative potential that is giving birth to Eastern Ukraine. Special participants included artists Artur Novikov from Kramatorsk, who is currently defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces, and Volodymyr Yanitsky from Kurakhiv, whose graphic works are dedicated to the cities of Donetsk region that are putting up heroic resistance to the occupiers.
Students from the Kramatorsk College of Technology and Design joined the project «Unbreakable Donetsk Region: Places of Resistance.» Young artists depicted cities and events that have become symbols of the heroism of the Ukrainian army and the resilience of Ukrainians in the war against Russian aggression, places of remembrance for fallen soldiers and civilians.
The art scene in Ukraine hosted solo exhibitions by artists from the Donetsk region. The works of artist Oksana Dashytsia from Sloviansk at the Hetman Museum in Kyiv told of peaceful life in her native land. The canvases of Mariupol artist Vasyl Korenchuk at the exhibition «From Azov to the Carpathians» in Lviv were filled with pain and memories of his native city. Vyacheslav Gutir’s exhibition project «Wanderings» at the Korsaks Museum of Modern Art in Lutsk reminded us that the art of Donetsk region is born from the depths of Ukrainian soil and at the same time paves the way to the future. The collaboration between artist Serhiy Smetankin and the Belgian Embassy in Ukraine during the organization of an exhibition featuring a series of works entitled «Trench Painting» in Kyiv on the grounds of St. Sophia’s Cathedral became a kind of artistic diplomacy.
The artistic community of Donetsk region is actively involved in the art therapy movement – during art studios for military personnel, veterans, and displaced children, Mariupol artist and teacher Oksana Hnatyshyn and Bakhmut artist Maria Vyshedska not only used creativity as a means of emotional healing, but also involved young people in community activities.
On the occasion of Artist’s Day, we sincerely congratulate the masters of fine arts of Donetsk region on the holiday! We wish you creative energy, recognition, and new achievements in your service to art and Ukraine!
We remember that culture and art during wartime are symbols of resilience, and after victory, they are the foundation for recovery!