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.
Pseudo stained glass is a refined decorative art technique that transforms doors, windows, and interior objects into luminous design features. Created with special transparent paints, this approach allows light to pass through the surface, filling the room with colour and creating a soft, fairytale-like atmosphere within the interior. When daylight moves through the painted surface, the colours come alive, subtly shifting throughout the day and enhancing the emotional quality of the space. One of the key advantages of pseudo stained glass is its ability to match and enhance the existing interior style. From soft, minimal colour schemes to more expressive, ornamental designs, each piece is created in dialogue with the architecture, materials, and colour palette of the room. The artwork becomes an integrated part of the interior rather than a separate decorative element. Pseudo stained glass works beautifully as an accent feature or as a focal point, adding depth, warmth, and a sense of wonder. It is particularly effective in spaces where natural light plays an important role, turning everyday architectural elements into sources of colour and atmosphere.
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.
