The article reports on the second edition of the Kyiv Art Fair, held at the Lavra gallery in Kyiv, where Ukrainian artists are using their work to process the trauma of Russia's ongoing invasion. Artists like Olena Kharakhulakh, who turned to full-time art after a missile strike near her home killed 45 people, and Vlada Lobus, who fled to Poland, display collages and photography that reflect fragmentation, loss, and reconstruction. The fair continues despite the war, which has killed at least 346 artists and displaced millions.
This matters because the Kyiv Art Fair demonstrates the resilience of Ukraine's art scene under extreme duress, showing that creativity persists even amid war. The invasion has paradoxically placed Ukrainian artists on the international stage, helping them gain visibility abroad. The fair also serves as a cultural escape and a means of psychological survival for both artists and visitors, highlighting art's role in processing collective trauma and rebuilding identity in a shattered society.