The Ukrainian Art Studio ArtUA has launched its fifth anniversary exhibition, 'Revived by Art', at the People's Museum of Limerick, running from November 1 to 15, 2025. The exhibition features 150 works by nearly 40 artists, both Ukrainian and other nationalities, aged six to seventy-seven, using techniques such as painting, graphics, decorative arts, and graphic design. Founded by Ukrainian artist and teacher Lyubov Makarenko, who fled Mariupol after the Russian invasion, ArtUA has been holding free art classes at the Redemptorist Church in Limerick since July 2022. The exhibition focuses on personal memories and places dear to the artists, including Mariupol, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Limerick, reflecting nostalgia, pain, and love.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the role of art as a tool for healing, community building, and cultural expression among displaced Ukrainians in Ireland. The studio has become an established part of Limerick's cultural life, offering a supportive environment that helps participants overcome stress and adapt to a new environment through creativity. The show underscores how grassroots art initiatives can foster integration, preserve cultural identity, and provide therapeutic benefits, demonstrating the power of art to connect people across borders and generations.