Sometimes, I run very small, intimate workshops—just three participants—so each person can explore their own individual theme. This particular workshop was organised and sponsored by CMRC and contributed to the exhibition Borders, Bonds, Belonging, held at Ngurra Gunya Exhibition Hall, Parramatta Square. The exhibition, organised by CMRC and ADSi, was part of #RefugeeWeek2025 — a time to reflect, connect, and stand in solidarity amid global displacement and conflict.
Twelve talented Ukrainians shared their culture through paintings, music, and poetry, creating a powerful celebration of identity and resilience.
Our workshop took place in my art studio, which conveniently had all the supplies ready. The theme was open: participants could explore anything that reminded them of Ukraine or anything particular they love about Australia. The results were personal, heartfelt, and inspiring — a true testament to the power of creativity in connecting people and cultures.
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.
My journey with jewellery began in 2008, after a workshop in Kyiv sparked my curiosity about working on a small, intimate scale. What started as experimentation soon grew into a deeper fascination with adornment as both object and cultural expression. My interest truly ignited while curating a fashion show of traditional Ukrainian clothing. Immersing myself in the richness of these garments led me to closely study traditional Ukrainian multi-row jewellery — its structure, symbolism, rhythm, and presence. These pieces are more than decoration; they carry history, identity, and a strong visual language. Since then, I have created hundreds of jewellery pieces, each one informed by that tradition while shaped through my own contemporary sensibility. Working at this scale allows for precision, repetition, and variation — a dialogue between heritage and personal expression. Jewellery, for me, is another way of telling stories through form and material — wearable, tactile, and closely connected to the body.
