Briukhovetska Oksana
The Ukrainian flag, which visually symbolizes Ukrainian fields, is not only a symbol of Ukraine’s struggle for independence. Since 2022, it has become a symbol of solidarity and support in many parts of the world. Being abroad and seeing a Ukrainian flag outside someone’s home is always heartwarming, as it becomes another reminder that we are not alone. Seeing citizens of other countries take to the streets with Ukrainian flags is equally moving, as they demonstrate their solidarity with Ukraine.
Should we, Ukrainians, also stand in solidarity with peoples suffering from aggression or oppression? This is a question worth reflecting on amid complex geopolitical circumstances. Recognizing the trauma of others while living through our own trauma is not easy, but it is also a path toward building bonds of solidarity and overcoming isolation.
Oksana Briukhovetska is a Ukrainian artist, researcher, and curator. She was born in 1973 in Kyiv. She studied at the Ivan Trush Lviv College of Applied Arts (1989–1994) and the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kyiv, 1997–2003). In 2021–2023, she earned an MFA from the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan (USA). She lives and works in Kyiv.
Her artistic practice spans painting, textile, curatorial, and collaborative projects. Briukhovetska explores themes of feminism, embodiment, social justice, and traumatic memory. She has participated in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine and internationally, and worked as a curator and designer at the Visual Culture Research Center (Kyiv, 2009–2019).
In 2025, her book Black Lives Matter Voices was published by Choven, based on interviews conducted in the U.S. during the 2020–2021 protests, accompanied by her series of portrait illustrations. During Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she created the tapestry series Songs and Flowers for Ukraine (2022–2023), dedicated to the tragic pages of Ukrainian history and the lived experience of war.
Her latest solo exhibition SUGAR AND POPPY (KUT_artistrunspace, Kyiv, January 18 – February 9, 2025) is dedicated to the memory of her grandmother, Halyna Kysil. The project features textile portraits—some based on archival photographs, others imagined—woven together with childhood memories of scents, tastes, and stories that preserve the experience of several generations.
