The 7th fundraising exhibition by True Blue & a Little Bit of Yellow took place at Incinerator Art Space, Willoughby, from 16–27 November 2022, and remains one of our most memorable milestones.
Over two weeks, we were overwhelmed by the support, kindness, respect, and genuine engagement from the local community. Australiana brought together seven artists and resulted in 18 of 30 artworks sold, with close to $10,000 raised to support people in Ukraine during a time of great need.
The exhibition was alive with connection and participation. I conducted two highly successful workshops on site, including a painting workshop where Scarlett Banksia bloomed across every artwork, and a special children’s workshop for students from Nova Ukrainian School. Seeing young participants engage with art in this context was deeply moving.
We were honoured to welcome remarkable supporters and guests at the opening, including Mayor of Willoughby City Tanya Taylor, MP Tim James, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Sydney Jaroslav Duma, Deputy Chief of Mission Volodymyr Shalkivski, Co-chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Kateryna Argirou, and many others. The opening was enriched by the music of Harrison Taranec on tenor saxophone, and the closing event was beautifully marked by violinist Maryana Sywak from Jaga Band.
Australiana was more than an exhibition — it was a shared effort, a meeting of art, community, and generosity, and a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people come together with care and purpose.
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.
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.
