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.
One question keeps coming up: what’s next? I’m delighted to share that my work has been selected as a finalist in the Hunters Hill Art Prize 2026. It’s an honour to be part of this exhibition alongside a strong group of selected artists, all coming together in the beautiful Hunters Hill Town Hall. The work I’ve entered, Soft Country — Eucalyptus Socialis, continues my exploration of Australian native trees — their presence, individuality, and the subtle complexity of their colour and form. If you’d like to see it in person, here are the exhibition details: Buyers’ Preview Thursday 21 May 2026, 7pm – 8pm Canapés and drinks available Opening Night Friday 22 May 2026, 6pm – 8pm Canapés and drinks available
For me, as for many of my collectors, moving to Australia has been a blessed and life-changing experience. At the same time, it doesn’t erase the feeling of missing home. Memory travels with us — through seasons, colours, familiar landscapes, and small visual details that stay deeply rooted inside. Quite often, Ukrainian collectors commission artworks that reconnect them with home. These might be flowers remembered from a childhood garden, the softness of snow, the glow of golden autumn, or the unmistakable outlines of traditional Ukrainian architecture. These subjects carry emotional weight — they speak of belonging, memory, and personal history. I find great meaning in creating these works, because I share the same feelings. Painting nostalgic themes allows me to revisit places and atmospheres that shaped me, while offering others a visual connection to what they hold dear. The artwork becomes more than an image; it becomes a bridge between past and present, between where we come from and where we are now. Through these commissions, nostalgia turns into something tangible — a way to honour memory, identity, and the enduring connection to home, even when life unfolds far from it.
