About the showcase

This very special to us showcase brings together the voices and new artworks of 25 Ukrainian artists, each of whom has endured a year marked by displacement andprofound transformation.

Working across painting, drawing, photography, installation,sculpture, and digital media, the artists respond to the theme of the show by sharingnot only what has been left behind, but how creativity continues, how they adapt,imagine, and speak through their practice.

The title is a metaphor for the quiet power of artistic expression; like a match, asingle gesture can spark warmth, light, or even fire. Though these artists have beentested by conflict, their work burns with urgency, resilience, and hope.

This exhibition is a pivotal moment for our current cohort of displaced Ukrainianartists to transform their traumatic experiences into the future, breaking downbarriers and building meaningful connections. It is also our collective attempt tonavigate the integration of displaced artists into the local arts scene as active, valuedmembers of society. This showcase celebrates not just survival, but an artisticevolution. More than an exhibition, it’s a call to reflect on how art helps us belong,integrate, and begin again together. It marks a moment of visibility for artists who,until now, have not had the platform to be seen or heard by wider audiences.

Artworks

Thank You!

This showcase would not have been possible without our sponsors, supporters,
volunteers, and visitors. On behalf of our artists cohort, we extend our heartfelt
thanks to everyone who has invested funding, in-kind support, time, energy, and
kindness. Because of all of you, our artists are able to present this show which is an
opportunity that allows them to continue their creative journeys here, in their new
home of Scotland. We are deeply grateful for your belief in our project and in the
power of art to connect, heal, and inspire.

Alena Rogozhkina, Curator and founder of Abandoned Artists CIC

Participating artists
Natalia Babych
Olena Checkpalenko
Nataliia Danova
Lisa Devyatkina
Valentyna Dolottseva
Alina Filatova
Naddia Huta
Victoria Kamiway
Kostyantin Kushnir
Malvina Kustro
Sofiia Kutsenok
Alina Litvinova
Margo

Natasha Mikhailova
Matthew Morpheus
Yulia Olkhovska
Olha Reshetova
Alena Rogozkina
Lidiya Shevaga
Antonina Strilets
Kateryna Tsyvunova
Yuliia Ustymenko
Viktoriia Volosnyk

Curatorial note

'' 'a match is silent but It speaks' brings together the voices and new artworks of 25 Ukrainian artists, each of whom has endured a year shaped by displacement and deep transformation. Working across disciplines—from painting and sculpture to performance and digital media—the artists reflect not only on what they have left behind, but on how they have continued to create, adapt, and speak through their practice.

The title is a metaphor for the quiet power of artistic expression: like a match, a single gesture can spark warmth, light, or even fire. These artists may have been pushed to their limits by conflict, but their work burns with urgency, change, and resilience.

This showcase celebrates not just survival, but evolution. More than an exhibition, it’s a call to reflect on how art helps us belong, integrate, and begin again—together. It marks a moment of visibility for artists who, until now, have not had the platform to be seen or heard by wider audiences. Their stories—told through materials, memories, and imagination—are deeply personal, yet resonate far beyond borders.

As a curator, I see this show space not only for reflection, but for a dialogue. These artists may have been uprooted, but their voices remain vital. I invite you to a space where silence speaks volumes, and where art carries the weight—and the promise—of lives being rebuilt in real time. It is a call to reflect on how art helps us belong, integrate, and begin again—together.''

Alena Rogozhkina,

Curator, Artistic Director of Abandoned Artists