Fine artist Louise Pasterfield will open her exhibition 'Colour and Courage' at St Stephen’s Church in Saltash, Cornwall, on May 28. The show features 18 watercolour portraits from her ongoing Ukraine series, which began after Russia’s 2022 invasion and now totals 295 portraits of civilians, soldiers, and families. Among the works is a tribute to Christopher Parry, a Cornish volunteer killed in Ukraine in 2023, painted from a photograph given by his parents. The exhibition also includes botanical paintings inspired by Tresco Abbey Gardens.
The exhibition matters because it uses portraiture to bear witness to the human cost of war, giving names and stories to those affected by the conflict in Ukraine. By honoring a local humanitarian volunteer and raising funds for relief through Cornwall & Devon Sending Love to Ukraine, the show connects a global tragedy to a specific community in Cornwall, demonstrating how art can foster remembrance and solidarity at a local level.