Ukrainian Artist to showcase work at Wirral Studios after finding support in Merseyside

Ukrainian artist Olena Kosheva credits Wirral’s creative community for giving her a much-needed welcome to Merseyside.

When Russia invaded in 2022, she and her son were among a number of Ukrainians to be brought to live in the region through a sponsorship scheme.

And she says it was the acceptance she received from local artists, who encouraged her to take part in the annual Wirral Open Studios Tour, that got her through the hard times.

Olena, 45 whose hometown Zaporizhzhia is close to the front line of the conflict, says:

“The war is horrible. They took our lives – they are trying to take our country. No one deserves this, especially children.

“When you are in a new country, especially when you are an adult, it is hard to make connections with other people. But when I’m with people who are very creative, I feel very comfortable. They’re people you can spend time with and they’re interested in your work.

“When I went to Wirral Open Studio Tour in 2022 and saw all these amazing artists, it was like a fresh breeze.”

In Ukraine, Olena most recently lived in the city of Lviv where she worked as a graphic artist. She has always been drawn to trying out different styles of art and experimenting with a range of materials. Many of her pieces convey her sense of humour. As well as paintings of birds and still lifes, she has created The Map of Wirral – an illustration featuring landmarks and places from the area she now calls home.

Next month, Olena will take part in her third Wirral Open Studio Tour, alongside more than 90 artists opening their creative spaces to the public over the weekend of 13-14 June. She will be at Melrose Hall in Hoylake, with five other artists, and says she can’t wait to chat with people about her work.

She says:

“I’m thinking about doing some small demonstrations, and I have my sketchbooks so people can see how I work. Every year I try to make something interesting, so the first year I had plastic pills with predictions inside for people to take.

“My favourite thing is when people are observing my works and I can approach behind and joke, ‘She’s amazing, right?’”

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