Cultural Performance at the Ukrainian Festival, Sydney — 2022. In 2022, I curated and produced a major cultural performance at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour as part of the Ukrainian Festival. The show was created primarily using the private collections of Roxolana Mishalow and Tanya Whitbourn, whose garments carried deep regional and historical significance.
This performance was unlike any I had worked on before. All of the models were Ukrainian refugees. Each person on stage carried their own story of displacement, resilience, and survival, which gave the presentation an added layer of meaning that could not be staged or rehearsed.
The vibrant regional costumes were intentionally contrasted with the visual narrative behind them. I designed a series of projected slides showing Ukrainian towns and cities before and after the war. Together, costume and imagery created a powerful dialogue — beauty and heritage set against destruction and loss.
What emerged was more than a performance. It became a moment of collective remembrance and visibility, honouring Ukrainian culture while acknowledging the realities of war. Through this work, tradition was not frozen in the past, but stood firmly in the present — resilient, human, and deeply alive.
Ukraine: Secrets of Resilience was an exhibition by True Blue & a Little Bit of Yellow, presented at Sydney Town Hall to mark one year since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. I wanted to find a way to help people in Australia understand what war is — not in abstract terms, but through human experience. That idea became Secrets of Resilience. I went through a year of devastating news and personal testimonies, selecting stories that resonated most deeply and spoke about survival, loss, strength, and endurance. From these stories, I created a series of posters combining documentary photographs, written accounts, and artworks — my own and those of fellow artists — alongside real objects carrying personal and symbolic meaning. Each element was chosen carefully, so the exhibition could be read, felt, and experienced rather than simply viewed. Working through so much human pain was emotionally demanding. Revisiting these stories left a lasting mark, but I believe the process was necessary. The exhibition allowed many visitors to imagine themselves in a place of conflict and offered a glimpse into how people continue to live, endure, and remain human under unimaginable circumstances. It was not an easy exhibition — but it was an important one.
I’m honoured to be featured in the Ukrainian magazine The Woman, where I share my journey as an artist and as a Ukrainian woman living and creating in Australia. The article reflects on my creative path, the experiences that shaped my practice, and the way art has helped me stay connected to both place and identity while building a life on the other side of the world. Living between two countries has taught me that connection to homeland doesn’t disappear with distance — it transforms. Through my work, I carry memories, values, and cultural references from Ukraine into my life in Australia, creating a quiet dialogue between the two. Art becomes a bridge, linking landscapes, histories, and emotional ties across continents, and allowing me to feel grounded in both places at once. It is always meaningful to see this story resonate beyond my immediate community, especially when it reaches readers who may recognise their own experiences of migration, belonging, and cultural memory. I’m grateful to the editorial team for their interest and thoughtful approach to telling my story.
