Olena Bou Shdid

My art was born at the level of awareness during the war.

I am lucky to have the visual language of art. I don't just have to do it because it heals me...expressing myself is very important to me.

This is my mission, I feel that way.

Time chose us. We are ourselves now, right in this country. Let it sound pathetic. But everything we have now is exaggerated, a little too much. Joy when you wake up alive and well, when you don't hear sirens all day, incredible relief when you get a message from a loved one on the front, anger when the damn air alarm goes off... these are all emotions. All these emotions are heightened now.

And all this is not only my personal opinion. Tensions at the level of our country... in society are in the air.

Before, I was more concerned about improving professional skills. This is normal, this path must also be passed.

And today, as an artist, I began to ask myself other questions: who am I and what is my mission? Different content, different meanings. Deeper, more important.

There was a need to explore the visual manifestations of Ukrainian identity and reproduce their elements in painting.

I create talisman paintings that contain the power and wisdom of previous generations, our roots. I believe that all this protects and gives us strength.

I believe it all protects and empowers everyone who looks at it. They are like distant memories of what is hidden in us. It's time to remember.