I’m delighted to share that my artwork “Bottlebrush Symphony” received the Gallery 11:11 Art Prize / People’s Choice Award!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who visited the exhibition, voted, and shared in this wonderful experience. Your support, encouragement, and kind words mean so much to me.
The winning piece, “Bottlebrush Symphony,” will be available for purchase through the Gallery 11:11 website for the next eight weeks: www.gallery1111.net
It was such a joy to celebrate this moment surrounded by art lovers,
friends, and the creative community.
In 2011, while completing my Master’s degree at UNSW COFA, I joined a student artist group called All For You (AFY). The group brings together artists who were studying at or had graduated from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales. Founded by artist Chi Da Kim, AFY included 32 members representing more than 20 countries, creating a diverse and international creative environment. That year, the group held two exhibitions in Sydney. The first, All For You, took place at Global Gallery in Surry Hills in July 2011. The second exhibition, Transcendency, was held at the Arthouse Hotel in Sydney CBD. These exhibitions marked an important stage in my early exhibition practice in Australia and my engagement with the local contemporary art community.
In 2018, I was invited to curate and coordinate a cultural performance for a diplomatic function at the National Gallery of Australia, at the request of the Embassy of Ukraine and on the initiative of Christine Syvenkyj-Bailey. The performance was created primarily from Christine Syvenkyj-Bailey’s private collection, with additional contributions from the collections of Sonia Mycak and Roxolana Mishalow. I am deeply grateful to them for their generosity and trust. This project was far more than event coordination — it was about giving history a voice. Every costume, ornament, and movement carried memory, identity, and meaning. My role was to carefully weave these elements into a coherent narrative that honoured tradition while allowing it to live and breathe in the present moment. I oversaw the entire creative and organisational process: selecting traditional Ukrainian costume elements, sourcing authentic garments and objects from private collectors, and recreating historical headpieces and jewellery where originals could not be used. I wrote the presentation script to guide the audience through the story, and designed all visual and printed materials — from slides and banners to invitations, gifts, and calendars — ensuring a unified visual language throughout the event. Behind the scenes, the work was equally intricate. I coordinated models and assistants, managed the careful transport of costumes and artefacts from Sydney to Canberra and back, and balanced countless logistical details so that, on the day, everything felt effortless and dignified. What emerged was not simply a performance, but a living expression of cultural memory.
