Ukrainians seeking cultural escape from war’s brutality find comfort and
resilience at Kyiv art fair
[May 11, 2026]
By HANNA ARHIROVA and DAN BASHAKOV
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A contemporary art fair has been held in the
Ukrainian capital with an unusual premise: that art can help a society
come to terms with what war has made normal.
“Holding the event during wartime means not waiting for a better moment,
but working with reality as it is,” said Anna Avetova, director of the
Art Kyiv fair. “In this context, art does not stand apart from life — it
helps make sense of the present, preserve cultural continuity, and lay
the groundwork for the future.”
Titled This is Normal, the fair has become a space where Ukrainians try
to make sense through painting, sculpture and conversation of a reality
in which missile strikes, death and loss have quietly become a part of
ordinary life.
Hundreds of works filled the space at the Lavra Gallery, from oddly
shaped sculptures to paintings spanning from expressive abstraction to
surreal portraiture and atmospheric landscapes. Notably, not a single
booth is dedicated specifically to the war. That was a deliberate
choice.
“The war is always in the air, we just really didn’t want to make a
point of mentioning it,” Avetova said. “Art is one of the things that
keeps us human. It sustains us and warms our soul when things are very
hard.”
The organizers said the event was also intended to provide a boost to
the domestic art market, which had already stagnated under COVID-19
before the Russian war made things worse. The market is gradually
beginning to recover, and the fair is one example of how Ukrainian
artists are ready not only to speak about the war, but to sell
paintings.
Art Kyiv describes itself as a cultural platform where artistic
experience, public discourse and contemporary Ukrainian reality meet. In
a hall occasionally pierced by air-raid sirens warning of Russian
strikes, the event has united Ukraine’s most prominent galleries,
artists, collectors, and cultural institutions.
It is being held for only the second time since the war began after
launching in October.
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Visitors look at paintings by Ukrainian artists at the Art Kyiv 2026
Festival at the Art Ukraine Gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, May 8,
2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
 Ceramic artist Tala Vovk is showing
her work for the first time. She tries to attend art events in Kyiv
frequently, as it helps her take her mind off the war and “detach
from the tragedy.”
“Art is a place where the everyday doesn’t exist,” she said. In her
view, even during wartime such events matter, because it is
important to nourish the cultural foundation and give it strength so
that it can take root and grow stronger. “And that would give
strength in any situation,” she said.
That was the case for artist Yuriy Vatkin, who in the first weeks of
Russia’s invasion found himself trapped under occupation between
Ukraine’s northern city Kharkiv and the Russian border. Painting
helped him to survive and maintain his mental health, even after his
studio was damaged in an attack, according to his representative at
the fair, Denys Dmytriev.
None of the art works, which are primarily for sale, show anything
focused on the war. The artists have opted instead for something
more neutral. Vatkin is represented by works in his signature style,
where thick, layered brushstrokes, fragmented forms and a vivid use
of color create a sense of motion and instability.
Anna Domashchenko, a visitor to the event, said she was drawn to the
rich, saturated hues because they evoke intense emotions.
She attends art events frequently and says it matters deeply to her
that they continue despite the war.
“Sometimes you wonder whether it’s appropriate… but these are
exactly the things that inspire you and remind you that life is full
of color, and all of those colors should be present at any time,”
she said. “Even in times as hard as these.”
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