10 - 13 August 2023 10 am to 6 pm Opening night - Friday 11 August 6-9 pm
The Watch House Gallery, 179 Darling Street, Balmain
“Colours of Freedom” is a captivating art exhibition dedicated to the Ukrainian Independence Day, celebrated on the 24th of August. This vibrant showcase brings together Ukrainian artists in Australia who have embraced a unique challenge: creating their artworks using only two colours, blue and yellow. Symbolising hope, freedom, and happiness, these hues encapsulate the spirit of Ukraine’s journey towards independence, celebrating the country’s sovereignty and resilience.
Through a diverse range of mediums and artistic styles, 5 artists explore the essence of their shared love of nature, the power of positivity during challenging times that embodies the spirit of freedom and fosters cultural exchange between Ukrainian and Australian communities.
Join us at “Colours of Freedom” to admire the wonders of nature, the beauty of art and to support Ukrainian people in their pursuit of liberty. Money raised from the profits of the exhibition will go to Ukrainians in need.
The exhibition is generously sponsored by the Balmain Association and the Ukrainian Council of NSW.
Find ‘True Blue and a little bit of Yellow” Artists Collective on social media
I was born in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Would I ever imagine that it can be a war in the European country, my homeland? Would I ever imagine that my family, friends, and the whole Ukrainian nation will be going through the nightmare that the russian side created? It’s a horror, terrorism, genocide that is now happening in Ukraine after russia invades Ukraine.
I didn’t know that I can cry this much, and can’t resist the pain inside caused by the ongoing war.
I can’t express what I have gone through when I saw on the news that 8 bombs were exploded in Kyiv somewhere in my suburb. I haven’t heard from my family for 8 hours, not knowing if they are fine,if they are alive. Thank god, they were ok. But I had to leave those 8 hours patiently. My dearest friends and family have to sleep in bomb shelters, but sometimes they are so exhausted that they simply stay at home, some of the family members can not even go downstairs and with every air raid siren, all they have to do is to pray that this time it won’t be a killer one. I can not see without tears in my eyes what is going on near Kyiv and other regions across Ukraine. Just Google it.
As an artist, I can not be silent. I’m glad that together with other artists, Habitat for Humanity organisation and Imagine Corporation we stand for Ukraine and are willing to do something good for those who lost everything.
With Ukrainians in mind, with a belief in Ukrainian freedom and peace, I created a fine-art work as my way of help and support.
The artwork is named ‘Revival: a journey towards peace and freedom’ and depicts
interconnected symbolic images of the dove and its shadow illuminated in the yellow and
blue colours as Ukraine fighting for freedom and peace. Every element on the image has its
right place and meaning:
Hands - symbolise the ability to create. The choice to do so is literally in our hands.
Dove - symbolises peace, love, devotion, grace, purity, the human soul, and hope.
White paint enhances a symbol of purity and symbolises the desire to do the right thing.
Dark areas are a symbol of past evil that can be easily illuminated as it is just a shadow.
Blue and yellow colours - are symbolic of Ukraine, the official colours of the Ukrainian flag.
Shadow direction states that Ukraine will revive.
A neutral background is chosen instead of a blue sky to suggest that the world is changing.
The artwork is framed in a white floating frame and adds a feeling of air and light to the wall.
Please, don’t be indifferent, choose to make an impact and save lives by buying the art via this landing page: https://openyourheart.online/
How does it work?
The Online Auction will be held on Thursday 28th April 2022 at 7 am AEST.Click here to register for the official launch and participate in the Online Auction
Make a Donation Every dollar makes a difference and we will be encouraging supporters to donate directly to Habitat for Humanity via our ‘Donate’ button. Click here to make a donation.
Buy an NFT on the Rarible marketplace providing a worldwide audience with the opportunity to purchase an NFT and in so doing, support Habitat for Humanity on the ground. On purchasing an NFT, you will receive an authorized one-time hi-res digital PDF of your selected artwork. Click here to register to buy a token.
Please, open your heart for Ukraine, let the artwork on your wall remind you that you’ve done something good.
